Pokemon: Dark Mirror
by Organ Man
Summary: Ash and co. walk into a new town for another adventure. It seems like a normal day for them at first...until it becomes clear that this town is the ultimate realm of nightmares: Silent Hill. Rated for blood in later chapters. Read and Review, please.
1. Prologue

_The definition of a monster is subjective._

_The dictionary understanding of a monster is something inhuman. However, the variety of monsters, fictional and real, is so complex and deep that the simple dictionary definition becomes obsolete almost immediately. There is only one known way to organize 'monsters' as a whole, dividing them into three categories._

_There are what are called 'Pocket Monsters'. Pokemon, for short. Creatures wielding the very elements and using them for powerful combat, and yet can be tamed. Befriended. Commanded. By children, no less._

_Children such as Ash Ketchum. He is young. Brave. Inexperienced, by the standards of many. In truth, however, he has seen far more than any of his rivals could dream. He has ridden on the back of legends, fought with the gods themselves, and triumphed over impossible adversity. And he is still but a child. _

_The second class of monster is 'human monsters'. Those draped in the skin of men, but with blackest hearts, eager to pervert the laws of nature and endanger the innocent for their own gain. Some could argue that these are more deserving of the title 'monsters' that the Pokemon._

_And then…there are the murderous creatures of the darkness, inspired by the most horrific nightmares. Brutal abominations, their sole purpose: to torment._

_The monsters of my home._

_Sharing a world, and yet worlds apart, from the trained monsters of Ash Ketchum and his companions. They are innocent of the monsters of my realm, knowing nothing of them. They are content to journey alongside their trusted Pokemon, in a grand adventure._

_And yet, one must wonder._

_Should this child, this brave impetuous youth, stumble into my world, a world of nightmarish monsters and violent redemption, what would become of him?_

_Would he lose his mind? Be overcome by horror and succumb to madness, as many would? Tear out his eyes, trying to block out the brutality of his hellish surroundings?_

_Or would he feel right at home?_


	2. Chapter 1

The woods around Kalville were very thick, and it was several miles from the next town. Too far to walk, even for a journeyman or Pokemon trainer. That was why the bus was the most popular way to get into the town. It was a huge bus, but it was packed full of trainers chattering about the tournament they had all been formally invited to.

Among this crowd were four children, who had been fortunate enough to find seats all together. A girl with long brown hair tied in a bandana, an older boy with squinted eyes, and a smaller child with glasses were enjoying the passing scenery. A boy with thick black hair, a baseball cap and jeans was holding his invitation in front of his eyes, proudly reciting.

"Dear Ash Ketchum we have seen your skills in Pokemon Battling competitions and are very impressed. We would like to cordially invite you to our fair city of Kalville, for our annual Battle Competition, where you will face off against many trainers of your skill. You will also enjoy a discount at our four-star hotels and equally prestigious restaurants. All we ask in return is that you honor us with your skilled presence and participate in our competition." The boy beamed at the Pikachu sitting on his lap. "You hear that? My skills are impressive!"

"Pikabee!" his best friend agreed.

"Yeah, just like everyone else on the town's mailing list." the girl remarked.

"Ah May, you're just jealous that iyou/i didn't get an invitation." Ash retorted.

"Easy Ash." the other boy replied. "You can see they invited a lot of people."

"And I'm gonna beat 'em all!"

"We'll see!" seemed to be the general echo of the rest of the trainers.

* * *

Ash had seen a lot ever since he began his Pokemon Journey. He had climbed mountains, crossed seas, wandered through endless plains and walked through bustling cities. But he had still never seen anything like Kalville before.

The place was celebration central, tourists milling around to check out the next restaurant/tourist stand/shop/hotel. There were banners and bright colors everywhere. Workers in bright Pokemon mascot suits gave tours and recommendations. Cheerful music boomed over the speakers, interposed occasionally by someone speaking about the upcoming election. The entire place seemed to consist entirely of tourist attractions, which were copiously advertised alongside the competition. It was tourist paradise.

A giant Pikachu with a huge head waddled up to Ash's group. May nearly shrieked before realizing it was just a man in a costume. A face with a big smile peeped out of the mask.

"Hello trainers, and welcome to Kalville! May I see your invitation?"

Ash proudly presented it in a flash. "Excellent! And are they with you?"

"Yep!"

"Excellent. Show that invitation to the hotels or restaurants and you'll get an immediate discount! Just remember to register at the battle dome!" A finger pointed at the huge structure in the distance. It looked like a huge covered bowl with neon signs.

"You betcha!" Ash didn't have to be told twice. "C'mon guys!"

And, without waiting for his friends to respond, Ash took off towards the battle dome, Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Ash, WAIT!"

* * *

High in the sky, three teenage thieves watched the children dash after their friend. Team Rockets Meowth balloon hovered far over Kalville, with the trio using high-power binoculars to spy.

"Looks like a nice town, James."

"Yeah. Lots of stuff. Say, Jessie, I wonder why we didn't get an invitation?"

"Maybe dey figure our Pokemon battlin' skills ain't impressive enough." Meowth answered back.

"Well, then we'll just have to make up for that…"

"With our Pokemon STEALING skills!"

"WOBBUFFET!"

"Hey! Dat's MY line! Er…"

* * *

Ash wouldn't wait. He was so excited to participate in the tournament he paid no heed to his friends calls. They could always catch up. He just had to get to the dome and register! He was so focused on the building in the distance, he didn't see the girl step into his path until it was too late.

"OOOOOOOOF!"

Suddenly, both of them were in a heap on the ground. Ash groaned and Pikachu shook his head clear as the girl they had collided with swiftly put her large hat back on. She gazed at the papers that had spilled out of her purse upon impact.

"You indescribable clod!" she snapped as she rushed to regain her lost objects. "These are important!" She sounded roughly the same age as Ash, but her angry voice had an undertone that was rather disturbing.

"Um…sorry?"

It wasn't until the girl had regained all her objects that she spoke again. "It's alright. No-one died." Relaxed, Ash got up and had a good look at the girl he had run into.

She was exactly his height, but seemed to dress in a manner of someone much older. She wore a simple dress and jacket, with a long scarf that hung down like a neglected rag. She had a wide-brimmed hat, which kept her head in shadow. Her back was turned to him as she stuffed several documents into her purse.

"Yeah, sorry about that. My name's Ash."

"Ash?" she remarked without turning around. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Strange name for a child." She suddenly remembered her manners and turned around. "My name is…"

She stopped suddenly. She and Ash were face-to-face, and they were quite surprised by what they saw. Ash blinked to make sure he wasn't imagining it. There was something…indescribably familiar about this girl. She had short, black hair and dark brown eyes. Her eyes looked like bottomless wells holding many secrets. But something about her face seemed like something he had seen before…

"Um…Have we met? You seem really familiar…" he remarked.

She shook her head, smiling ruefully. "No. You would remember vividly if we had met. Anyway, my name is Alyx." she extended her hand for a greeting.

Ash shook it eagerly. "Nice to meet ya, Alyx. Oh, this is Pikachu." he motioned to the Pokemon on his shoulder.

Alyx scratched Pikachu under the chin. "Interesting." she mused. Pikachu shivered slightly. Something about this girl was making him nervous…

Just then, the others came up gasping. "Ash, there you are! You shouldn't just run off like that in a town this big…woah." They opened their eyes very wide on seeing Alyx.

Ash and Alyx blinked in unison. "What?"

"Is that your sister?"

"WHAT?"

"She sure looks like your sister, Ash."

Ash took another look. They were right…except for the eyes and a few girl features, Alyx looked very much like him. "Yeah…maybe that's where I remember you from." he joked.

Alyx wasn't amused. "I can safely assure you that is not possible."

"How do you know, sis?"

Alyx's glare was the single most intimidating thing in the world, sending a winter's worth of ice down Ash's back. Her voice was just as chilling. "**I am NOT 'sis'**."

"I know, I know, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" the boy stammered.

That seemed to satisfy her. Her icy look vanished and she allowed a half smile to appear on her face. "That would be the day…hm hm hmm." she turned to the other children. "My name's Alyx. I live here."

"I'm May."

"I'm Max, her brilliant little brother!"

"And I'm Brock, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." Alyx glanced back at Ash. Siblings or not, their resemblance did not escape her. "We ran into each other. Where were you rushing to?"

"The battle dome, to register. I was invited for the tournament!"

"Of course. You know, there's a huge line there at the moment. It might be prudent to go later today, when the rush is over."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Alyx thought for a moment. "If you would like, I could show you around this town briefly."

"That'd be great! Thanks a lot, Alyx."

"No problem. This way."

Ash and his friends followed Alyx, eager to see the town. They would have been a lot less eager had they known what would happen.

Because their entire world was about to be turned upside down.


	3. Chapter 2

The first stop the group made was the antique shop. "There's something I need to check quickly", Alyx had explained. The group was happy to oblige.

The shop wasn't a souvenir stand like the other places…the objects for sale were strange, ancient, and expensive. The shopkeeper was pleased to see Alyx again. He was a huge man with beard so thick you couldn't see his face. Alyx wasn't here to shop, however. She browsed the antiques briefly, brushing a few of them. The others just stared at the bizarre things for sale.

"So, where were you born, Ash?"

"Oh, Pallet Town."

"Then the sibling theory is completely disproved. I've lived here all my life."

"Too bad."

"Perhaps."

Alyx moved towards a large shelf where a tea set had been hung up. "Is your family still in Pallet Town?"

"Yeah, my mom's always calling. Keeps asking me if I've changed my underwear. Heh heh. Mothers."

"I wouldn't know…" Alyx mumbled, having moved the shelf off the wall slightly and glancing behind it. "And your father?"

"My dad?" Ash blinked. "Uhhhhh…yeah, my dad. My dad's good, yeah. He's kinda on a journey of his own right now but…he's good. Haven't seen him in a bit, but yeah."

Ash looked back at Ash with an unconvinced look on her face. "Uh-huh."

May turned to Ash. "You know, you never mentioned your dad. What's he like?"

Ash didn't seem to hear the question. "So Alyx, what are you…" Ash suddenly wrinkled up his nose. "What is that smell?"

Everyone else suddenly noticed it too, and grabbed their noses so they wouldn't have to. "It's disgusting!"

Alyx swiftly slammed the shelf back into the wall. "My apologies, there are dead rats behind here." She turned to the shopkeeper. "I thought you cleaned that out long ago."

"Busy." Was all the keeper said, in a low mutter.

* * *

The group wasted no time in leaving the shop and getting into the fresh air. Alyx quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. That storekeeper sells good things, but he has no interest in sanitation at times. Sometimes I think he considers it an ambient aroma."

"Don't worry about it." Brock whooped in the clean air outside. "I've smelt worse."

"Oh, have you now?" Alyx retorted flatly.

May tapped Ash on the shoulder. "So what's your dad like? I don't think you heard me."

Ash still didn't hear her. "Alyx, who's that?"

Plastered all over one of the nearby walls were pictures of a man with dark red hair and piercing eyes, looking off into the distance. Under each and every one were the words 'Vote Dakos, for a better Kalville.'

"His name is Dakos." Alyx answered, broadly gesturing to the posters. "He's running for mayor. The election's in a few days."

"Really?"

"Yes. That's why they've invited a lot of people here for the tournament. They'll be expecting you to cast a ballot for your participation in the tournament."

"Shouldn't the locals vote for mayor?" Brock asked, puzzled.

"There are almost no locals. Almost every person in town is visiting for the tournament. I only know two…three people who've lived here their whole lives. Myself, the antique store owner, and…the butcher. Not enough for an election. The rest are tourists, or they've only been here a few years. This town is dead when there isn't the tournament."

"Seriously? Why don't more people stay here?"

Alyx shrugged. "Bad vibes, I suppose."

The group of children continued following Alyx. She showed them an alternate route to the registry building, going past the amusement park and the lake. Max wanted to go into the park, but Alyx claimed that they could spend all day there, and Ash had to register before tonight to participate in the competition. Even in the park, there were election posters, featuring Dakos and another man, an unremarkable old man named Markus. Their campaign promises to 'bring life to Kalville again' blared over the loudspeakers.

That was probably why Alyx wanted to go by the lake. It was much quieter there. The lake was huge – the forest on the other side was barely visible. The pristine, deep water reached far into the distance, reflecting perfectly with no wind. A lone pier jutted into the lake, trying feebly and failing miserably to make a significant mark on the lake.

"So Ash, is your dad a trainer?" Brock asked.

"Um, yeah he is, I think."

"You think?"

"What a pretty lake!" Ash evaded. "It sure looks nice."

"You should see it when there's a fire." Alyx remarked casually. "The entire lake looks like blood."

There was a silence, and the group stared at Alyx briefly with wide eyes.

"It's a lot more beautiful than it sounds." She explained.

Max made a face. May quickly changed the subject. "So Ash, tell us about dad."

"Um…"

"Uh-uh, no dodging. What's he like?"

Ash rubbed his neck nervously as he found everyone looking at him. "Well…uh…well, we haven't talked…in a while, but…he's…he's cool. Yeah…cool. He's a trainer, a good one…I think…um…he also, uh…er…I dunno…salesman? He travels a lot…yeah…um…"

Alyx had had enough, and brought Ash's babbling to a screeching halt.

"You have no idea who he is, do you?"

There was a dead silence as Alyx's accusation crashed into Ash like a sledgehammer. It was as if the birds had stopped singing…or had they been singing at all? Whatever the case, no one spoke, waiting for Ash's reaction. He looked like he was ready to vehemently deny that, but he suddenly hung his head limply.

"Yeah."

May, feeling incredibly stupid, slunk back behind Brock.

"Excuse me, I gotta…" Ash didn't finish, simply trudging down the pier. Sensing he wanted to be alone, nobody followed him.

Reaching the end of the pier, Ash stared down at his reflection. He saw a sad little boy who had just been handed an unpleasant truth.

It had always been something he tried to avoid. Ignore. Change the subject whenever someone asked. He had never really confronted it before. He had never known his father.

The worst of it was…there was NOTHING to go by. May and Brock knew who their fathers were, although they were somewhat distant. Him, he had nothing…no face, no name, just mom's claims that he was going on the same route his father had. He had never really asked his mother, and when he did, she never told much. He had never thought about it before…

He suddenly noticed Alyx's reflection had joined his. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"S'alright."

"I never knew my father either." Alyx sighed sympathetically. "I had a great stepfather, the best I could've asked for, but I would've given anything to know my real fathers name."

Ash started again. "It stinks, it really…all mom said was he was on a Pokemon journey himself. That was…kinda why I left home. I was gonna be the greatest Pokemon Master…"

"To impress him. To make him proud."

"Yeah…I was always hoping that I would run into him, just like the movies. But…now that I think about it, I don't know anything about him. He never called or anything. Mom doesn't have pictures of him for some reason, and she never told me his name…"

"Perhaps she feels it's better you don't know."

Ash whirled around to face her. "Excuse me?"

"He might not have a good person at all. Honestly, if he left you and your mother behind and never contacted you for ten years, perhaps…"

"HEY!" Ash snapped. "What are you implying? My dad would never be like that! He wouldn't just –"

"Well then, maybe you're one of the lucky ones whose father died before you were born!" Alyx retorted. Ash was silenced. "Face it, Ash. There's no sugarcoating something like this. I know, believe me. You have to realize that."

Ash had no response. He did realize that, sadly.

Alyx glanced back at where the group was watching, on the shore. "Now come. You can't stay out here forever. Besides, it's simply not healthy to be thinking depressing thoughts at the end of a pier."

Ash paused, looking at the ground for a moment. Then he sighed and rejoined the group.

* * *

One would've thought the rest of the walk would've been in awkward silence, but in reality, Kalville's festive mood was overpowering, and the group was chatting normally again. Ash and Alyx were somewhat quiet, but then someone arrived that made Ash completely forget about his absent father. She was buying an ice-cream cone from a vehicle stand and turned around just as the group came up.

"Ash?"

Ash recognized her by her orange hair, distinctive ponytail and water themed accessories. "Misty!"

Ash's old friend smiled her winning smile. "Well, lookee who's here. What are you doing, enjoying the scenery?"

"Oh no," Ash answered, back to his chipper self again. "I was specially invited for the tournament because of my impressive battling skills!"

"And because Dakos and Markus need a vote." Alyx muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Oh really? So was I! I got the invitation right here!" She promptly displayed her letter, which was identical to Ash's except for the name. "My skills as Cerulean Gym Leader skills are impressive, too!"

Alyx smirked at the card. "Yes, we are all impressive here."

Misty suddenly noticed the girl with black hair. "Hi, are you Ash's sister?"

"**NO.**" Her fists clenched for a moment, and then she loosened up. "You're not the first to make that mistake. I'm Alyx."

"I'm Misty." The girls shook hands. Misty noticed Alyx's handshake was like iron. "Um…are you here for the tournament too?"

"No, I'm not a Pokemon trainer. To be honest, I haven't seen one of these battles they boast about."

"Seriously?"

"Why don't we show you one? Huh, Ash?" Misty challenged.

"Huh?"

"Let's have a one-on-one, right here and now. Let's see if you're as impressive as the mailing list, or have you gotten sloppy while I was gone?"

Ash was eager to meet her challenge. "Oh yeah? We'll see who's gotten sloppy!"

Ash and Misty faced each other down. Just like the good old days. "Let's battle!" they chanted in unison.

Alyx smiled slightly. This should be interesting…


	4. Chapter 3

In the town square was a large statue of the town's founder, Kal Mayhews. He was a tall, handsome man, at least according to the sculptor. A small plaque read _'In Loving Memory of our Founder.'_

"Why 'In Memory', mommy?" a little girl asked her mother.

"He…left a few years ago." Her mommy answered.

"You mean he died." Alyx corrected her.

The three were standing in the small crowd surrounding the battle square, which had been quickly cleared for Ash and Misty's quick battle. Brock had volunteered to be referee. The two children squared off against each other like Western gunslingers, with the expectant crowd watching them.

"This will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle between Ash Ketchum and Misty Williams! They will each choose one Pokemon, and they will fight until either Pokemon is unable to battle."

"Loser buys dinner!" Misty suddenly added.

"Hope you got plenty of money, cause I'm starving!" Ash cheerfully retorted.

"Let the battle begin!" Brock boomed over the cheering crowd.

"Go get 'em, buddy!" Ash laughed to the Pokemon on his shoulder. Pikachu hopped off and faced Misty.

"I knew you'd pick Pikachu." Misty laughed as she took out a Pokeball. "Ludicolo!"

The ball opened, and a jolly duck-like Pokemon appeared in a flash of red light. "Odds are even, Ash!"

"We'll see about that! Pikachu, Volt tackle!"

"Ludicolo, Rapid Spin!"

Pikachu charged towards Ludicolo, sparking with powerful electricity…very powerful, Alyx noted. Ludicolo began whirling around at top speed. The electrified mouse blasted into the spinning top, but was quickly thrown off by the rapid spin. Ludicolo stopped whirling and teetered unsteadily…he had still been hit.

"Iron Tail!"

"Look out!"

Pikachu's tail began to glow with energy as it was flung at Ludicolo. The water Pokemon saw it coming and hopped to the side before being hit.

"Water Gun!"

A jetstream of water erupted from Ludicolo's mouth, hitting Pikachu at full force. The mouse was blasted hard, and had to grab the pavement with its claws to hang on.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt, now!"

Pikachu obeyed, sending a bolt of electricity through the water at Ludicolo. The thunderbolt zapped Ludicolo painfully and at full power. The Pokemon twitched and spasmed for a moment, stopping the water gun.

Pikachu got up to his feet and shook himself dry. Ludicolo stumbled, fell and didn't get up.

"Ludicolo is unable to battle! The victory goes to Ash Ketchum!" The crowd cheered. Misty returned Ludicolo to his Pokeball. "You deserve a rest."

Pikachu hopped back on Ash's shoulder as he approached Alyx. "Cool, huh?"

She cocked her eyebrow. "Is that all?"

"Well…most battles have more Pokemon." Brock explained as the group reformed.

"A maximum of six each." Max added.

"So did you like it? Was I good or what?"

"It was Pikachu, not you. But yes, very impressive." Alyx scratched under Pikachu's chin. "Very impressive. I'm just a little disappointed that you didn't…" Alyx suddenly stopped.

"Didn't do what?"

Alyx glanced at Ash, Pikachu, their friends and the crowd. "Nothing. Never mind. I quite enjoyed that."

Ash blinked. "Didn't do nothing? What do you…?"

A loud announcement cut Ash's question. "OUTTA THE WAY! COMIN' THROUGH!" A white truck with a stylized R symbol barreled into the town square, parking right in the center.

"Oh great, not these guys AGAIN!" Ash groaned.

"Who?" Alyx asked.

"Pokemon thieves…just wait, they'll tell you." May remarked.

"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!" Someone in the truck boomed.

"MAKE IT DOUBLE!"

A latch on the roof opened, and two teenagers wearing white-and-black uniforms rose from the truck in dramatic poses.

"To protect the world from devastation!" The girl with long red hair sang.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" The boy with blue hair continued.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

A small cat Pokemon leapt out, joining the two in a dramatic pose. "MEOWTH! That's right!"

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

A pillar of black smoke framed the posing trio.

"That was a nice touch, James." Jessie remarked.

"Wasn't my idea."

"Me neither."

Suddenly their eyes went wide, and they whirled around. "THE VACCUMUP 3501!"

Behind them rose a machine with countless vacuum tubes and a large sac. Or rather, what was left of it. Now it was a smoking, burning, wretched pile of plastic and metal. Alyx suppressed a laugh.

"It just blew up?"

"But I never turned it on!"

"It's ruined!"

"Whaddo we do now?"

The three suddenly became very conscious of the crowd of people and Pokemon surrounding them, all staring. Team Rocket put on sheepish smiles and ducked back into the truck.

"Don't mind us!"

"Sorry for the interruption!"

"Hope you liked the song!"

The white truck edged out of the bewildered crowd.

"Bye now!"

"See ya tomorrow!"

"Have a nice day!"

"Good luck!"

"Team Rocket's driving off again! Ha ha ha haaa…"

The truck slunk off into the back alleys. The crowd was silent for a moment, then burst out into gales of laughter.

Ash scratched his head when he was finished laughing. "That was weird…"

Alyx smiled. "Don't worry about it. The registration office is over there. Might as well go there now."

"Oh right! Thanks a lot Alyx."

"Not a problem." She replied to Ash's retreating back. "Not a problem at all."

* * *

"Dat…was…embarrassing." Meowth moaned. They were hiding in an abandoned garage, staring at the smoldering wreck that had been their plan.

James shrugged as he walked around the Vaccumup 3501. "I don't get it! It wasn't even plugged in, and no Pokemon attacked it."

"Things don't just spontaneously combust, James."

"Maybe someone hid a bomb? The twoips, maybe?"

James shook his head. "No, those goody-two-shoes wouldn't do that. Besides, it actually wasn't an explosion." He shone his flashlight into the machines workings. "It's like the gears and springs just caught fire. REALLY caught fire."

"Ugh…what are we gonna tell the boss?"

"We don't. We'll just figure out something simple."

"We're still TEAM ROCKET! And this time, we're gonna win."

No-one heard their proud boast.


	5. Chapter 4

"'Team Rocket', is it?"

"Yep."

Ash, his friends, and Alyx were eating in a large restaurant, courtesy of Misty. Well, Alyx was only drinking some water. The rest were filling their faces with very delicious meals. Two waiters, a guy and girl, walked by and asked if they wanted anything else. They declined, as they were still in the middle of the meal.

"It's an evil organization that steals Pokemon and other stuff. They pretty big, trying to take over the world."

Alyx snorted. "Evil? You mean those idiots from the town square? Please. If anything, they're deluded."

The two hovering waiters cringed. Alyx saw them out of the corner of her eye.

"Well…yeah, those guys aren't too bad." Brock admitted. "But there are a lot of other guys. Really bad guys."

"Mm-hm. And you've met them?"

"You bet!" Ash boasted. "And beat them all. Ain't that right?"

"Pika!"

"Really. How interesting." Alyx glanced at the two waiters who still hadn't left. "So…those delusionals from the square. You've encountered them a lot?"

May sighed. "Every other day, it seems."

The waiters tried to hide a snicker. Alyx watched them with narrowed eyes. "I see. These other members of Team Rocket, the bad ones…how do you deal with them?"

"Oh, we stop their plans and they go off to jail. I could spend all day talking about it."

"Do they break out?"

"Um…occasionally."

Alyx looked at Pikachu interestingly. "Of course. Have you considered other, more…permanent solutions? Ever?"

"What do you mean?"

Alyx gave Ash a very strange look. Then she took another sip of water, clearing her throat. "Do you know what an electric chair is?"

The waiters abruptly stopped snickering.

"Uh…" Ash scratched his head. "Is it uh…one of those heated massage chairs?"

"NO. It's a method of capitol punishment. Before it was outlawed in exchange for more 'humane' methods, it was used to deal with the worst of criminals. Permanently. Would you like to know how it works?"

"Uh…" Something in the way Alyx said 'permanently' was making Ash very uncomfortable.

Alyx didn't wait for an answer. "Electricity is used in the body to make muscles move. An electric attack causes spasms because the current overloads the muscles, confusing them and causing them to twitch, uncontrollably. In an electric chair - or at least, the ones I have heard of - the arms, legs and chest and tied down, so the only thing that can spasm is the neck."

Alyx took another gulp. "A current is run through the body of the…criminal. Either the heart bursts from the overload, or…" She put a finger to the side of her head and pushed it to the side for effect. "Snap."

There was a dead silence as what Alyx was suggesting sunk in. Then Ash, a furious scowl on his face, confronted Alyx from across the table.

"Are you INSANE? I would never have Pikachu do that, you sick…"

Alyx was completely unfazed by the outburst. "Of course not. But cogitate on this. The voltage needed to kill a human being is roughly 100V. And that's roughly two thirds of the power I saw your friend using in that fight."

That silenced Ash, and the group was lost for words at the sobering though.

Alyx continued. "And he's just one of your pets, correct? Power enough to kill two people three times over. Each. And all that you ...or your enemies, for that matter…have to do is issue a command. Do you ever think about that, as you watch your friends fight for you?"

Everyone looked at each other. "…No, not really…"

"All just fun and games, then?" Alyx suddenly whirled around to face the two waiters, a rather dark smile on her face. "How about you two? Do you ever think about that?"

The waiter and waitress both stammered under Alyx's piercing eyes. "Um-n-nuh-no-we haven't-uh-er-um-ah-I-I-thinkwegottago!"

They were out the door in a flash.

Alyx turned to the stymied group of children. "Food for thought. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, but you should think about that." She finished her water and stood up. "Well, it's been nice meeting you all, but I need to leave. Best of luck at the tournament. Which reminds me…" Reaching into her purse she pulled out an unusual object and handed it to Ash.

It was a small pyramid, rust-colored and very old. A light seemed to flicker occasionally inside. Ash looked at it curiously. "Thanks…what is it?"

"A cage for a demon. It might bring you luck." Alyx adjusted her hat and walked away. "Have a pleasant stay here."

"Bye…" Everyone airily replied as Alyx vanished out the back door. Ash turned the pyramid thing in his hand. Was the light coming from inside or was it just a reflection?

"What a weird girl…" Misty remarked.

"Yeah, weird…" Ash shoved the pyramid into his backpack. Then he shook his head and smiled again. "She sure doesn't know us, though."

"Pika?"

"Thinking we'd think about…oh, forget it."

"Yeah." "We're better than that." "Of course." his friends agreed.

"Well, we better get a hotel room." May added. "First battle's tomorrow."

"Oh yeah! The tournament. We'd better rest up for that."

And so they paid the bill and walked out, doing their best to put the mysterious Alyx and her troubling ideas out of their heads.

* * *

They failed.

Ash had the worst nightmare. All around him Pokemon were chasing him, teeth bared and shrieking war cries. Machamp and Infernape caught him, tying him to a stake and carrying him away, bound and gagged. A legion of shadowed Pokemon surrounded him, chanting in victory and laughing terribly. Ash looked around helplessly and saw other trainers being burned alive, drowned, suffocated and crushed by their Pokemon.

They brought Ash to a black leather recliner. His hands, feet and chest were secured with tight belts. A Pikachu wearing a black hood walked in and used Thunderbolt. Ash couldn't scream. There was sheer pain as his muscles spasmed and then

SNAP

"GAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Ash woke up in a cold sweat. He was relieved beyond description to be safe in his hotel room, in the dead of a calm night. Ash tried vehemently to catch his breath. Just a bad dream…

His eyes fell on Pikachu, who was sleeping on a nearby mat. Judging by the way he shook, he was having a bad dream as well.

_This is crazy_, Ash kept thinking. _Pikachu would…would never do that. And I would never make him…would I? What if…_

_No. It would never happen._ That final thought calmed him down.

Not keen on going to sleep just yet, Ash walked to the window. The group had booked rooms in a nice hotel by the lake, and there was a good view of the town from where Ash was. It was midnight…an unusually dark night as well. But he could see that there were countless windows with lights on. How many people couldn't sleep without a light in this town? Were they having nightmares too? Was this the bad vibes Alyx mentioned?

There was movement in the night as well…Ash saw someone walking slowly through the town. He must've been huge for Ash to see from so far away. But just when Ash was registering how the person looked, he…vanished into the shadows.

It was an hour before Ash could get himself back to sleep. Luckily, he had no more dreams.

* * *

Markus was up late. Not because of any bad dreams, although god knows he had those almost every night in this town. Instead, he was working on something he had origionally hoped would help the tourism problem and boost his chances for election. Then he heard a loud knock at the door.

_Who could be knocking at this time of night?_ Something told Markus to save what data he had compiled onto a USB drive and tuck it away in a secure location. He then went to answer the door.

It was the last thing he ever did.


	6. Chapter 5

The First battle of the Pokemon Tournament went smoothly, regardless of any vivid nightmares. It was a tense battle between Ash and an older trainer, Pokemon pitted against Pokemon in a spectacular battle royal. It was an epic struggle, and Ash was the victor. However, the entire thing became unimportant when a wild-eyed child burst into the battle dome with a shocking announcement.

"Somebody's beheaded the statue!"

* * *

Ash and his friends (as well as everybody who had heard the news) rushed out to the town square to see the statue. They saw it. It was an absolutely appalling sight.

Not only had the head of the statue been removed from the neck, a red liquid had been splattered all over it, resulting in a total mess of the once proud statue. Worst of all was the smell. It filled everyone present with a sensation of retching.

Dakos had the nerve to touch the red gunk dripping from the statue.

"Is this…blood?"

"Pig's blood." an officer Jenny doing her best to hold her breakfast in explained. "We spuh-spoke to the butcher earlier. He suh-said that some of his stuff was stolen a f-few nights ago. Drained blood, meathooks, though why anyone would willingly take that is buh-beyond me."

Dakos gave a look of sheer disgust, flinging the fluid off his fingers. "Why on earth did you bring me here, then? I have an election to…"

"Look at this." Jenny showed the mayoral candidate the plaque. Someone had scrawled 'Dead meat Dakos' on it in the blood covering the statue.

Dakos sighed. "Just like my posters."

"Posters?"

"My campaign posters. Last night they were all defaced…obscenities written all over them. My committee had to remove them all over town."

The word 'blood' spread around the crowd like wildfire, and they quickly dispersed. Several made plans to leave the next morning. Ash and the group went into an alleyway where they wouldn't have to see the reddened statue. Max and May couldn't hold their stomachs and found a convenient trash can each.

Dakos and the police moved away from the statue as well, allowing several firefighters and their Pokemon to clean off the defaced statue as best they could.

"It sure is interesting that no such threats were made against Markus." Dakos implied.

The officer shook her head. "Markus had nothing to do with this."

"How can you be so sure?"

"He's dead."

There was a stunned silence. Dakos slowly recovered and spoke in a shocked tone. "…dead?"

"There was a fire last night. He was dead before we could put it out."

Dakos sat down, looking horrified. "I might be next, then…that maniac who did this…"

"I would personally recommend you leave the city, sir…"

"No…no. I'm the mayor by default now. This town needs a leader in this crisis. I cannot…abandon Kalville! Find this monster, officers. Find him!"

* * *

Max was still unable to stand back up. Brock and Misty watched him and his sister, keeping them steady. Ash volunteered to go to the end of the alley and see when it was safe for them to walk out.

"Bad vibes." Ash muttered as he watched the firemen clean the blood off the statue. This was one gruesome threat…who would do this? And why? Ash watched as the blood flowed off the statue and into the sewer system.

Suddenly he felt his shoulder grabbed. "I knew I'd draw you out. Now Alessa, you will co-operate or I will –"

Ash whirled around to see who was yelling at him. It was Dakos, the man from the posters. His scowl vanished when he saw Ash's face, and he let go of the boy's shoulder.

"Oh…I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." He apologized sheepishly.

Ash and Pikachu gave the man a puzzled look. "Don't worry about it…who's Alessa?"

"None of your…don't worry about it. Listen, are you thinking of leaving Kalville?"

"Leave town?" Misty had joined the conversation, a weary May leaning on her shoulder. "Why?"

"With all that's happened, many people are leaving town and that won't be good for the business. This town's always struggled, and this will not help. First Markus' death, and now the statue and threats…"

"Markus is dead? The other candidate?"

"His house burned down. It might have been an accident, or…well, anyway, you should know that you children are in no danger. This town needs people to stay here, or it will…" Suddenly Dakos' phone began ringing. "Um, excuse me I have to take this."

Dakos moved away from the children, whispering into the phone. "Have you found her? Have you…you have! Excellent! Now…"

Ash was pondering. He was up last night…why didn't he see the fire? But now that he thought about it, that huge figure he saw skulking through town…

Ash turned to Misty and Brock, who had just walked up. "Do you guys wanna leave?"

"What about the tournament?"

"I dunno…I'd love to finish it but if you guys don't think it's safe…"

"Ash, we can all take care of ourselves. Don't be so worried."

"Don't you remember? We went up against Rocket, Magma…"

"But they never did anything like THIS!" Max had the nerve to speak again.

"Maybe, but we can't just leave without doing something! I'd feel like a complete coward." Ash interjected.

"But…"

"You children don't need to worry." Dakos reappeared. "I've just been given word that the monster responsible for this has been apprehended."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. The town is safe."

"Oh thank goodness." May gasped.

"So the tournament's still on?" Ash had to ask.

"Of course. This town needs the revenue badly. I'm going to arrange a press conference now. As I'm the mayor now, I'll need to be able to lead Kalville through this crisis." With that, he began walking away.

That would've been the end of that had Ash not glanced at a window on the block opposite. Across the street from Dakos, a huge shadow was raising something, ready to throw it right at…

"DAKOS LOOK OUT!" Without thinking, Ash collided into the man, bringing them both to the ground. And not a moment too soon…something smashed through the window and swiftly imbedded itself on the wall nearby. Had Ash not forced Dakos down, it would've gone right through his head. Ash glanced up. It was an iron hook.

Dakos saw it, and a Pokeball flew out of his hand. "Mime, Barrier, NOW!"

There was a flash of red light, and a Mime Pokemon appeared and raised its hands. Another hook flew out at top speed, but it clattered against the psychic barrier uselessly. The shadow behind the window snarled and ran.

"OFFICERS!" In a moment the handful of police were around Dakos. He pointed at the window where the assailant had been. "I've nearly been assassinated! After him!"

The Jennies gave chase, and Dakos walked to a more secure location, his Pokemon's barrier protecting him. Ash was a little miffed that he didn't get any recognition, but stayed silent as he got up to his feet. His friends rushed to his side, asking if he was OK. He was.

His eyes fell on the hooks imbedded in the walls. Engraved on them were the words 'Sunderland's Butcher shop'.

Ash had seen that building in town…


	7. Chapter 6

Sunderland's Butcher shop was a nondescript building, with bland white paint and a smiling Grumpig on the door. Ash and Pikachu looked around to check if anyone was watching him. No-one was around…almost.

"Ash, what are we doing here?" Misty demanded.

"Checking the place out."

"Ash, the police spoke to the owner already. He told them his storeroom had been raided a few nights ago. They've checked the place thoroughly…didn't find anything." Brock tried to explain.

"Well, that was then and this is now. C'mon, we'll just tell the butcher his hooks were used to attack the mayor, asks if he knows anything, then leave."

Something in his eyes told Ash's two friends that that wasn't his plan at all.

"Ash, please-"

"If you're so scared, head back to the hotel with May." May and Max had put themselves to bed after the incident with the statue.

"Scared? Oh no, I'm not scared, I just don't think that we should…"

"Misty, I wanna help catch this creep. You remember all those bad guys we helped to jail? What could go wrong?"

The police had chased the mayor's attacker that morning to a dead-end…with no attacker. Just a brick wall and a manhole cover leading to a maze of sewers.

Misty let out a resigning sigh, but smiled at the same time. "You haven't changed a bit. Always looking for trouble."

Ash smiled that winning smile of his and opened the door to the butcher shop. Brock and Misty were right behind him, planning to keep him out of trouble.

There was a small, clean waiting room, with a desk and chairs for people who wanted to make out an order of hamburgers. A sign was propped on a door in the back. 'Owner out.'

"See Ash?" Misty gestured to the sign. "Nobody here."

"Perfect." Ash snickered mischievously. The back door was ajar, being held up by what looked like a dog's bone. The boy and his faithful companion crept through the door quietly.

"Ash…"

"Sh-shh! I think I see..." Ash was through the doorway now and had suddenly become very silent. This was not normal for Ash.

"Ash? What's – " Misty and Brock ran through the door…

…and were stopped dead in their tracks by what was behind.

Hanging from the ceiling were chunks of flesh that had once been Miltank, Tauros and Grumpig. There heads had been cut off and the skin removed, reducing them to reddish pink masses held up by meathooks. Many were dripping with blood, creating a grisly mosaic on the wooden floor.

Misty covered her mouth and tried not to wretch. "My God…we gotta call the police…"

Brock had covered his nose to protect it from the overwhelming smell. "Dey've theen it already…it's acthually preddy thandard for a buther."

"You mean THIS is where we get hamburgers?"

"Yeth."

"I'm becoming a vegetarian."

"Guys, QUIET!" Ash hissed. "I heard somethin' a second ago." He was queasy himself, but an odd noise had grabbed his attention. He was somewhat grateful for something else to focus on other than the mess hanging from the ceiling. Pikachu had clamped its eyes shut.

Misty tried to avert her eyes, looking down. On the floor was a raw piece of cow leg that something had been eating. Half of it had been stripped bare, making it look like a regular dog bone. The other half was a bloody, mangled, meaty mess.

"EWWWWW!" Misty kicked it away from the doorway reflexively

"Ash, maybe we should get out of – "

The electric lights flickered just as an agonized scream rent the air. It was a scream of absolute pain and horror that would scare anyone and anything on its own. Not to mention the thought of whatever CAUSED that scream.

The three children froze. The scream stopped abruptly, followed by a silence that could be tasted. Ash numbly pointed to the other side of the room. There was a darkened doorway framed in weathered wood, escaping the lights of the meat locker.

Another scream made it certain…that was where the noises were coming from. The kids were so transfixed by the cry they didn't hear the _click_ of the door behind them, with no bone to keep it ajar. There was another dead silence.

As if in a trance, the children crept towards the wooden doorway. Something compelled them to move forward, Ash in the lead. As they came closer, they could faintly make out a man's terrified whimpering. Instinctively hugging the walls and not making a sound, the three trainers slunk through the doorway.

The back room of the butcher's shop was barely lit…only a tiny electric lamp on a chain suspended from the ceiling. Anything that wasn't in the ray of light was almost invisible in the shadows. The three burglars kept themselves as far away as they possibly could, not being seen as they watched what happened.

Tied to a metal rack and hanging helplessly upside down was a man in a fancy suit. He looked like a mobster, one that would normally intimidate anyone who saw him. However, he had been reduced to a cowering, whimpering cretin with tears in his wild eyes.

He repeated hysterically, "I don't know where she is I don't know where your empress is I swear to God please please please…"

There was someone behind him. He couldn't be seen, but a huge shifting shadow betrayed his presence. There was a swift movement…

And a metal blade erupted through the man's chest. The hapless victim didn't even have time to scream. Blood spurted out of the wound like lava out of a volcano. The huge metal thing shifted, and even more blood poured out. The knife vanished behind the mobster and there was a metallic clang on the floor.

It was all so sudden the children couldn't scream. They remained stock still and dead silent with shock.

The shadow behind the dead man moved further out of the light…Ash guessed he had turned around and was walking to the back of the room. He hadn't noticed the children hidden in the shadows. There was the sound of a powerful fist smashing into a wall, and an inhuman noise of sheer frustration. Then a slow, heavy breathing. Not the trainers...They hadn't dared to breath.

Brock's hands mechanically moved to his phone. His shaking fingers dialed 911 without him really noticing. The others were as still as statues and silent as graves. And then…

_Hello! You have reached Kalville's police station. All of our officers are unavailable at the moment. Your call is important to us, please continue to hold. _

The murderer heard.

The shadow whirled around, swiftly shoved the corpse-laden rack aside like it was nothing, grabbed something from the floor, and stormed into the light.

The killer was in full view with the grate gone. He was colossal – at least three times the size of the children. His muscles looked powerful enough to rip anything he wanted into shreds. And he had done so…his hands were caked in red-brown blood. He only wore a few items of clothing. A pale robe that covered his legs completely was held up by numerous belts around his waist. But the most memorable – and the most chilling – aspect of the man was his helmet. It resembled a blood-red pyramid, a cast-iron torture device with a point at his chest. A grating hid his face while allowing him to see out.

The giant man grabbed the hanging lightbulb, pointing the ray at the wall where he had heard the noise. Three terrified children were spotlighted like burglars.

"Oh no." One of them squeaked.

The man in the pyramid helmet released the light. It swung for a moment, and the group saw what the man was carrying. The blade that killed the mobster was almost as big as its carrier. It was certainly almost as big as a normal grown man. It was rusty and messy…as if the murderer had slaughtered countless with it and never bothered to clean it. But it was still very sharp.

The helmeted man took a giant step towards them, dragging his nightmarish blade behind him.

That fact snapped Ash out of his terror trance. "PIKACHU, THUNDERBOLT!"

Pikachu didn't hesitate, firing a powerful bolt of electricity at the approaching killer. It hit dead-on…but for all it did it might as well have missed completely. He didn't react at all, and continued to lurch forward, his deadly weapon right behind him.

Brock sent out his Vulpix. "FLAMETHROWER!"

A blast of flame flew from the fox's mouth. It illuminated the room, but didn't impede the man any more than a headwind…when Vulpix stopped to catch his breath, he was closer than before.

Misty's Ludicolo flashed out. "WATER GUN!"

When the water stopped, the man, now dripping wet, had halted…with a fist clenched very tightly.

"I think…you just...insulted him." Ash squeaked.

Sure enough, he let out a booming bellow of rage that echoed around the room. The group covered their ears, but didn't dare close their eyes.

The murderer came towards them faster than before. The huge knife scraped against the floor, singing a deafening song of death.

Suddenly Brock, being the most level-headed person in the group, came up with the most sensible solution.

"RUN FOR IT!"


	8. Chapter 7

The three children tore out of the back room, screaming a scream that had waited too long to emerge. Once back in the room with the hanging meat, they ran even faster towards the door that would get them outside and away from the man in the pyramid helmet. Ash got there first. He grabbed the knob and twisted it…

It didn't open.

Frantically Ash turned it the other way, but the door still rattled on its' lock, despite how much he pushed, pulled and slammed.

The scraping noise was approaching slowly.

All three children rammed into the door at once, but it wouldn't budge. It was cast iron as well…no chance of burning it or breaking it. They slammed at it again. It remained secure.

The blades' earsplitting song of death got a little louder.

The three wide-eyed burglars whirled around towards where the noise was coming through, the doorway they wished they never went through. Then they turned to look at the keyhole of the way out.

* * *

He had many names. Monster. Executioner. Punisher. The red god. The butcher. But the name his 'father' had given him was the one all who saw him whispered in the night.

Pyramid Head.

He stepped into the meat locker, looking for the three trespassers who had so foolishly walked in on his interrogation. The huge man looked around and saw nothing but the dripping meat sacks suspended from the ceiling. The pointed helmet slowly scanned the room from the doorway.

Misty did her utmost not to whimper from where she was hiding. Pokemon attacks were useless against this juggernaut…the three children could do nothing but take cover. A table where several sharpening implements laid seemed like the best cover for her at the time – there was a cloth of sorts draped over the table, and she prayed it would hide her.

The room was quiet, except for Pyramid Head's slow breathing. He did nothing for a moment, as if contemplating whether hunting the three down would be worth the trouble of dragging his heavy blade around the room.

He took a step into the room, and the floor creaked loudly under the weight. Ash, who was watching from his own hiding spot, hoped that the floor would swallow that maniac up. And then he saw it.

Hanging from Pyramid Head's belt was a black, iron key.

The helmeted man turned, and then adjusted a gear-like mechanism on the handle of his huge blade. There was a loud squeaking noise, like claws on a chalkboard, before something went _click_.

From his knife, the huge man drew a long, thick rod of sharp metal. Once it had been fully removed, the bulky blade crashed onto the floor loudly. The butcher carefully checked the tip of the rod. The spear that had been hidden in the great knife was a fraction of its' size, but it was just as long, just as rusty, just as bloody, and just as sharp.

And a lot lighter.

Pyramid Head turned it over in his huge hand before stepping into the room. Without the heavy iron thing to impede him, he moved a lot faster, walking calmly around the room.

Searching the meat locker like a hound on the trail of convicts, Pyramid Head stalked around the hanging meat. Every step creaked under his bulk. Suddenly he whirled around with his spear, and a Miltank corpse was sliced in two. The lower half fell with a sickening SPLAT.

There was nothing behind. The hunter snorted and kept looking.

Misty shook all over. She couldn't see anything but she could hear a creak…creak…Creak…CREAK…

Misty stifled a horrified gasp. He was closing in on her!

The man in the helmet knew there were only so many places to hide in the locker. He also knew how effective fear was at driving burglars out. Arriving at the cloth covered table, Pyramid Head picked up the sharpening tool – a simple rock wheel attached to a motor.

Hearing a hideous scraping noise right above her did not help Misty's nerves.

The huge man shut off the tool and inspected his spearpoint again. Cleaned of the excess blood and rust, it was now sharper than ever. Perfect.

Misty's terrified eyes saw an iron spearpoint appear below the protecting cloth. She made herself as small as possible as the deadly point poked around the underside of the table, looking for something that shouldn't be there. It almost found it…

_Hello! You have reached Kalville's police station. Your call is important to us, please continue to hold._

In a millisecond the hunter was away from Misty and the table, and was upon the group of Tauros sacks that the noise had come from. Dropping his spear for a moment, he grabbed the closest meatsack and tore it in two.

A phone playing hold music was on the floor.

Puzzled, Pyramid Head picked up the device, not seeing the owner. The phone looked comically tiny in his colossal hand.

Brock had moved behind another meatsack. In a desperate move, he had placed the phone there to distract the murderer. As quickly and as quietly as possible, he crept up to the kneeling man.

Brock gently lifted the key ring from Pyramid Head's belt…

When his hand was swiftly grabbed. Brock gasped in horror as the murderer's helmet turned to look at what he had caught.

_"Kalville Police Station. Hello? Hello…?"_

The phone was reduced to a crushed mess of plastic. His other fist tightened around Brocks' wrist as he took up his spear. Standing upright again, Pyramid Head carried Brock high above the floor. The boy whimpered in helpless panic as the huge man pointed his spear right at him…

Thunk Thunk CLANG!

Three poorly thrown meathooks hit Pyramid Heads' back, one of them clattering against his helmet. The killer begrudgingly turned to face his attacker.

Ash had abandoned his hiding place when he saw Brock being threatened. "Let him GO!" he screamed as he raised another hook.

Pyramid Head paused, then turned to see the boy properly. Brock and the spear were still clutched in his hands. Neither of them moved for a minute, staring at each other.

The huge man lost any and all interest in Brock, letting him fall to the floor. The boy caught his breath and realized the key was still in his hand.

Ash couldn't understand why the monster was just…staring at him like that. Pikachu took a defensive stance in front of his master, sparking threateningly. The huge man didn't appear to notice, his attention focused on Ash.

Then Pyramid Head charged.

Pikachu fired a thunderbolt at the man, but it did nothing. The mouse was kicked aside and in the blink of an eye, Ash had been grabbed by the collar and brought up to the butcher's helmet.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Ash demanded, kicking at the huge man futilely. Pyramid Head didn't seem to notice, shifting his huge helmet as if to get a better look at the struggling boy. Then a bloody hand grabbed Ash's cap off his head. "THAT'S MINE YOU MONSTER!" Ash kicked more as the helmet came up, the point nearly touching his nose.

Then both of them noticed the floor was on fire.

The section of wood Pyramid Head was standing on had been set ablaze. Strangely enough, the huge man didn't panic or try to run.

Suddenly Ash felt himself being ripped from Pyramid Head's grasp. He hit the floor next to his friends. Brock was rattling the key inside the lock, his Vulpix right beside him. Ash didn't know how he got away from the monster and frankly, he didn't care. Misty hurriedly brought him to his feet as Pikachu rushed to his master.

The lock clicked open, the most beautiful sound they had ever heard. "COME ON!" Brock screamed as he bolted out the door. Misty needed no second bidding, but Ash chanced a glance back.

Pyramid Head hadn't moved. The ring of fire illuminated the terrifying figure, giving him the appearance of a demon at the gates of hell. The helmeted man simply stared right back at Ash, his bloody hand clutching the boy's cap. Then the floor under him gave way, and he vanished into the hole.

Ash turned and ran out of the butcher shop, never looking back.


	9. Chapter 8

When they finally reached the police station, the three children were gasping for breath more than they were breathing. It took Ash almost a half-hour, but he managed to gasp out the story as coherently as he could to the officer. The group was shuttled into a back room for further questions and given some water and hot chocolate to calm them down. It didn't work very well.

"My god my god my god my god…" Misty kept babbling, her drink spilling in her shaking hand.

Brock breathed in deeply and tried to stay the most sensible and positive of the group. "W-well, we g-got out alright…th-that's important, right?"

Ash was silent, occasionally touching his capless head. His last view of…that monster kept playing in front of his eyes. Fire at his feet, spear in hand, his helmet looking straight at him, hidden eyes boring into his skull…

Max and May then walked into the room. "Hey guys, what happened?"

Three blank glares answered them. After an experience like that, Max's chipper manner and nonchalant question felt like a slap to the face. The boy quickly regretted opening his big mouth at three very scared friends of his.

Ash regained his composure first. After apologizing for their reaction, he explained what had happened in the butcher shop. May shivered as he described the murderer who had nearly killed Brock and himself.

"Woah…That's insane."

"You have no idea, you never saw him…it…whatever!" Misty stammered.

Ash shook his head clear. "It was the same guy who attacked Dakos, I know it! Nngh… 'Bad vibes'." he snarled. "Nightmares, a beheaded statue complete with blood, a guy dying in a fire, and now this Pyramid Head! This town is insane."

"I don't wanna stay another day here, Ash!" Misty proclaimed. "If I stay any longer I'm going to go crazy. Let's get outta here, forget the tourn…"

Just then one of the Jennies walked in. Soot was on her clothes and a troubled expression was on her face.

Brock jumped up to greet her. "Did you get him, officer?"

The officer gulped. "We…saw someone matching your description in the window when we arrived, but…"

"BUT?"

"The entire place was in flames. Like Markus' house. Only more so…the firefighters don't think anyone in shop would've survived…"

* * *

Ash shoved a dresser in front of his hotel door. That only made him feel just a little safer.

Sunderland's Butcher Shop had been leveled. The firefighters put out the blaze late in the night, but when the police investigated they only found meat that smelled like it had been barbequed and the body of the mobster. Not one metalheaded giant in sight, no matter how thoroughly they looked.

That was the absolute last straw. The possibility of Pyramid Head still alive and loose in the town…the kids were going to leave Kalville for good. Somehow Dakos got wind of the entire thing and tried to convince them to stay…there was no way he could've survived that blaze, the police only did a quick search, they never even went into the basement, at least finish the tournament, the town desperately needs the revenue. But it was decided. They had had enough.

Unfortunately by the time the police released them, it was too dark to walk. Nights in Kalville were very black. What more, the train had been derailed by some incident, and the bus station was closed. The kids had no alternative but to stay one more night in town.

Ash got into his bed reluctantly. The police had promised, hand on heart, to guard to hotel where they all were staying. It did little to calm his fears, after their very delayed response in the butchers…The windows had all been locked and the doors blocked, even the closet.

How Ash managed to get to sleep, he'd never know.

* * *

Ash Ketchum was elated. He had just been declared the world's greatest Pokemon master, and had placed the trophy with his name on it on a stand, beaming with pride at having accomplished his lifelong dream.

An unremarkable man with a beard and a smile came up to him. "Come with me. You're needed."

"I am?" Ash answered excitedly. "For what?"

"Something important. Come."

Eager for whatever awaited him, Ash followed the man through the shining hallway. They walked through a set of thick iron doors.

It was a stadium. But instead of a blue sky, a blood red and ash black storm hovered over the area. Instead of a cheering human crowd, a packed motley of what could only be described as monstrosities were chanting a single word through whatever semblance of mouths they had. "DEATH!"

And instead of another young trainer waiting for a battle, Pyramid Head, with his huge blade, was waiting in the centre.

Ash suddenly didn't want to go in. But when he turned to his guide, he wasn't an unremarkable man anymore. He was a very remarkable monster, with hideously charred skin and a deep pit in his head. He snarled hoarsely at Ash.

The boy gasped and ran for the door, only to find that it wasn't there anymore. Five pale creatures without faces leapt on him and dragged the struggling trainer towards the executioner.

The chant of the inhuman crowd grew louder. "DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"

Pyramid Head raised his hand, and the crowd became dead silent. Ash was brought to his knees before the man in the helmet. The faceless creatures forced the boy to look up.

A bloodstained hand pointed straight at Ash, and a terrifying voice, deep and full of anger, spoke out of the helmet. "**Ash Ketchum, I sentence you to death for your crimes against this town!**"

"Crimes? I never did anything!"

"**Oh but you have.**" The voice took on a cajoling tone, as if he was chiding the wrongdoings of his child. "**You prevented justice from being carried out the murderer, my quarry. And now, because of that, this city is damned under him! It's fitting you be the one to pay.**"

Ash was about to protest when the faceless creatures forced his head down again. Ash tried to break free but couldn't. He could only helplessly stare at the wooden floor as the huge knife drew closer and closer…

"Wait."

The voice of a young girl interceded. It sounded familiar to Ash, but he couldn't place it.

"He might be useful…"

* * *

Ash's eyes shot open. He was staring at the ceiling of his hotel room, his fingers white from clutching his sheets. Another nightmare. He was in the middle of a silent thanksgiving prayer when it registered exactly what had woken him up.

A vicious scraping and distorted snarling at his door. Horrific dogs barking just outside his room.

Ash pulled the sheets closer to his shivering body. But just as suddenly as the barking had started, it stopped and the room was dead silent again.

Ash muttered to himself as his body struggled to go back to sleep. "Bad vibes. Bad vibes. Bad vibes…"


	10. Chapter 9

The morning finally came, but heavy clouds were suffocating the sunlight, casting the once bright town into shadow. Not that anybody cared anymore. Despite the mayor's protests and pleas, the populace of tourists had had enough of horrific nightmares, grisly occurrences and dark rumors. Now that the buses were working normally again, there was a mass exodus to leave Kalville behind.

Among the crowd were Ash and his friends. Their bags had all been packed in a hurry. All that was left was to book a bus and pick up their Pokemon from the Pokemon Center. And then they could get on the bus and get out of this town.

"So much for the tournament." Ash groaned.

May shrugged. "Long as we're all OK."

Max and Misty agreed quietly. Brock came out of the ticket registry.

"The buses are almost booked solid. I got us one, later today. We're not using those invitations anymore, so it'll be $145."

"All together?"

"Each."

"That's ridiculous!" Regardless, everyone began rifling through their pockets. Ash ran his hands through the pockets of his jeans, his shirt, his jacket and his backpack.

"Ash?"

Realization striking him, Ash slapped himself on the head. "Gah! My wallet must still be at the hotel!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Look, grab Pikachu and the others for me – I'll meet you at the centre. I gotta run!" Misty would've interjected, but Ash had already taken off through the empty streets. She sighed again.

* * *

Jessie looked carefully at the canisters. "You're sure that's knockout gas?"

"The label seems a little weird…"

"Don't be stupid!" James retorted. "What could 'dreams' mean otherwise? This is the real deal."

"I just dunno 'bout buying this off someone in the alley…"

"It's real, alright? The guy gave me his word. Now look, simple plans are the best. We'll just knock the twerps out and take the Pokemon, simple as that. Easy as pie!"

"Have you ever tried to make a pie?"

"Whatever. We need to wait a little though…the guy said this needs time to ferment before it can be used."

"A'ight. Just hope it works."

* * *

Ash bolted back to his hotel, explained the problem to the front desk, and ran towards his room. How could he be so stupid? He must've really been in a rush to leave. He probably left his cap there as well…

…no. He lost his cap at the butcher's…

That thought made him run through the hotel corridors even faster.

At last, he got to his room. Right above several claw marks was a sign reading 'Room being Serviced'.

Claw marks?

Ash gave the torn-at marks on the door. They were deep and copious. So he hadn't imagined it…a dog HAD been there last night…one or more, with very sharp claws…

Ash pushed the thought out of his mind as he turned his backup key in the doorknob and barged into the room.

"Excuse m – WHOOOP!"

The boy did a double-take. A maid wearing a black uniform was dusting the room, her back turned to Ash. She wore her skirt in such a way and was bending over in such a manner that the first thing the boy saw was a rather uninterrupted view of her underwear.

Ash's hand darted to his eyes as he blushed deeply. "Um…s-sorry, I left my wallet in here…I just need to grab it real quick, ma'am."

Ash chanced a peek through his fingers. To his relief, the maid had moved and was taking a tiny black thing off the top of the dresser. Ash didn't think he would've left it there, but it was definitely his wallet. The maid handed it to Ash without a word.

"Thanks, I ju-"

Ash stopped abruptly. He saw her 'face' now. Gasping in shock, he whirled around to the exit. But then a heavy thing came crashing down on the back of his head, and he lost consciousness.

The boy fell to the floor. Standing over him with pipe in hand, the maid's faceless head twitched around violently.

* * *

Ash had taken too long. The group had been waiting for almost an hour at the train station before they realized that. Pikachu had started acting strangely, like something bad was happening somewhere. That was when Misty and Brock decided to take it to the hotel with them.

The elevator took it's time in delivering them up to the hotel floor. Misty was holding the shivering Pikachu in her arms. "He's…probably sleeping or grabbing a snack somewhere." Misty muttered, trying to hide the worry in her voice with frustration.

"I doubt it." Brock replied.

With a 'ding' the elevator finally got them to the floor of Ash's room. They walked out with all speed and approached the room Ash said he was staying in. Brock rapped on the door. "Ash? It's us, are you in there?"

No answer.

Pikachu was breathing oddly, as if it smelled something amiss. Misty grabbed the doorknob with a twist. "Ash, if you're sleeping, I'll…"

The door was unlocked, and swung wide open. Misty blinked, puzzled. "Ash?"

The two stepped into the room, listening for any telltale snoring. There wasn't any. Pikachu hopped down from Misty's shoulder and began sniffing the floor. It didn't like what it smelled.

Suddenly Misty saw something on the far wall that made her gasp in horror. Pikachu and Brock looked up and their eyes went wide.

A white note had been pinned to the wall by a rusty metal meathook.

Misty tore to the note and tore it off the wall.

**Markus' home**

**Hurry**

"Oh no…" Brock gulped in shock. "Ash might be in trouble…"

"OH YOU _THINK_?" Misty bellowed in his face before bolting out of the hotel.

* * *

When Ash woke up again, it wasn't in his hotel room.

His wide eyes darted around as he attempted to get any bearing of his location. He could see nothing but blackness, a blackness that had recently been burned. He could faintly make out charred wood and a hanging lightbulb over him.

Ash tried to get up and failed. His wrists and ankles were strapped tightly to a hospital gurney, pinning him down. The boy furiously and futilely, yelling in anger.

The light clicked on and a creature hideous beyond all description hissed loudly in his face. Ash lay back down quickly, the reality of his position becoming very apparent.

The misshapen monstrosity left his sight and lumbered off. Ash shivered on the gurney, suddenly feeling very cold.

Footsteps were heard, heavy ones on one side and lighter ones on the other. With a little effort, Ash managed to turn to the lighter footfalls. He saw a familiar face in an unfamiliar outfit.

"ALYX? Alyx, what's going on?"

Alyx had changed into something resembling a schoolgirl's outfit. It was a simple blue dress, with a white collar and crimson tie. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes almost looked sad for a second. "You should have stayed asleep." was all she said.

Two hands forced Ash onto his back again. The boy looked up to see a huge triangular shadow looming over him.

Wide-eyed, Ash began to struggle more desperately. Pyramid Head's hands refused to let him move. The faceless creature, having exchanged her maid's uniform for a low-cut nurse's scrubs, stood over Ash and produced a glinting scalpel in her gloved hand.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT'S HAPPENING? _ALYYYYXXXXX_!"

The black-haired girl didn't answer Ash's questions. Instead her voice addressed the two creatures in a flat tone.

"Do it."

The scalpel flew towards Ash's face. Everything went red, and then black.


	11. Chapter 10

Ash screamed without sound. He was falling into a pit of horrific nightmares, all of which shrieked and laughed and cried at his arrival. A maelstrom of images flashed before his eyes. A blazing house. A car crash. An old crone laughing. Ghoulish children. Pyramid Head. Eyes. Legions of monstrosities.

And at the centre of it all, the girl who said her name was Alyx.

Ash fell into her well-like eye, a light blazing behind it growing brighter and brighter and…

"He's waking up! Easy now…"

Ash hazily saw a nurse shining a light into his eyes. His unrestrained hand swiftly hit her in the face before he realized she _had_ a face.

"What was THAT for?"

A gloriously familiar voice broke Ash out of his half-asleep stupor and woke him up for real. He was out of the burned building and inside a pristine white hospital room. Fluorescent lights shone down on him like rays from heaven. He was lying on a bed that, at the moment, felt softer than a cloud. Ash shook his head clear and turned to see who he had accidentally hit.

The nurse had long blonde hair and an old fashioned nurse's outfit, with a white dress and red cardigan. Her face was a thing of beauty after the faceless creature. She smiled reassuringly. "Hey…it's alright now. You're Ok."

Ash wheezed to get his breath back. He was Ok. He was Ok. Ok. Ok.

"Ash, _are_ you okay?"

Ash turned towards the voice. It was Misty, his old friend. He smiled again, and she gave a smile of relief back. It was beautiful.

Pikachu, his best friend since the beginning, hopped into his lap. Ash suddenly wrapped the Pokemon in a tight hug, happy beyond belief to be alive and with his friends. Pikachu had the breath knocked out of him, but he didn't complain. The nurse watched the touching scene with a smile.

"Oh, thank goodness." Misty breathed. "I was so worried…"

Ash didn't respond, still clutching Pikachu.

"Ash? Hellooo?"

The boy looked up. "Oh, hi Misty."

The girl's face became enraged. "_'OH, HI'_? Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were going to die!"

The thought made Ash snap to attention. "What do you mean? What happened?"

The nurse explained, restraining Misty. "She found you in Markus' home…what was left of it, anyway. You were unconscious and bleeding from a bad cut to the face…" A thought struck the nurse, and she grabbed a mirror from a shelf nearby. She handed it to Ash to see for himself.

Ash blinked in shock as he held the mirror to his face. Staring back at him was a boy that looked just like him, except for a long, straight scar going through his left eye. The stymied boy touched his face gingerly. Sure enough, a line could be felt. His hand stayed on it for a minute.

"Um…luckily there wasn't anything else except a bruise on your head. But for some reason, you were out for a day and night."

"I've been out that long?"

"Yeah…it was a good thing we got to you fast enough."

Ash just kept staring at the scar. How was he going to explain this to mom? He ran his finger over it several times to make sure it wasn't some Halloween novelty prank. No. The scar was real.

Pikachu tapped the unresponsive boy on the chin. "Pikabee?"

Misty cleared her throat. "Well, you're okay, that's good. So, we should get going. I don't wanna spend another day in this crazy town!"

The red nurse turned to her. "Well, I need to give him a quick checkup and sign some paperwork before he can go, I'm sorry."

"Ugh. Just as long as it's fast! If I have to spend one more night here, I'll go insane."

Just then the door opened. Brock, May and Max walked in nervously to see Ash sitting up and staring at a mirror. May was holding a flower that had been picked apart while she had been waiting.

"Ash! Oh, thank goodness."

"You're alright!"

"Hi guys." Ash replied airily without looking away from his scar.

Max blinked. "What's with him?"

"He's a little shell-shocked, I guess." the blonde nurse explained. "I think he'll be fine now."

Brock breathed a sigh of sheer relief. Then he went right up to the nurse in the red cardigan. "Oh thank you SO much, Lisa! You've saved my friend's life, there must be some way I can thank you!" Lisa stammered as Brock took her hands in his. "How about a movie? A walk in the park? A candlelight dinner! I just HAVE to thank you saving AAAAAH!"

May had grabbed the irrepressible Brock by his ear and dragged him away from the nurse, Lisa. "I'll thank you by keeping him away from you."

Lisa chuckled nervously. "Thank you…"

"It was Alyx."

Ash's voice, flat and full of fury, made everyone in the room turn to him. His teeth were gritted in a snarl and his eyes held a blazing hatred.

"Alyx. Alyx did this. She's working with that…Pyramid Head thing and some maid…nurse…they did this to me, they kidnapped me and…" Ash snarled with such fury Pikachu was frightened off his lap. "The next time I see them, I'll…_I'll_…GRAAAAAGH!"

CRASH!

Ash blinked. The mirror was lying facedown on the bedside table, broken into pieces. He groaned. Seven years bad luck.

Everyone just stared at him for a moment, surprised by the outburst from the normally friendly Ash. Then Lisa smiled again. "Maybe you should rest. You've been through a lot."

Ash sighed in agreement as Pikachu returned to his lap. "Ok. But we're getting out of here today, I'm sick of this place."

"Yeah. A lot of people have already left." Lisa suddenly remembered something. "Listen, I'll grab my kit and give you one last checkup, and then you can leave." Lisa nudged her way to the door, and left the children in the room.

"You _sure_ it was Alyx?"

"Oh yeah. It was her all right. She was there when she told the nurse 'do it' and…"

"You mean Lisa?"

"No! Not Lisa. She had black hair and…some sorta mask…that freak from the butcher's was there too…"

"Ash, start over. What happened?"

The boy calmed down and started at the beginning: the maid in the room, the hospital table, Alyx in the blue dress, Pyramid Head holding him down, the faceless nurse, the scalpel. When he finished the story with him waking up here and the scar, everyone paused in thought.

"It's weird, alright."

"Why would Alyx be working with Pyramid Head?"

"Something else is funny, too. If they wanted to kill you, they wouldn't leave a note telling us to hurry. Why would they go to so much trouble to give you a scar?"

"BECAUSE THEY'RE _PSYCHOS_!" Ash answered angrily. "Violent, insane maniacs! Alyx, Pyramid Head, the nurse…they're lunatics! Why else?"

"Well…"

Lisa suddenly walked in with a tray of plastic instruments and a slight smile. "Just a quick look-over, then I can release you. Ok?"

"Ok." Everybody sighed.

Lisa did the cursory checkup. Blood pressure was normal as expected, same with temperature, heartbeat was good, eyes were alright, tongue was pink…

"Hey…" Lisa shined her tiny flashlight into Ash's open mouth.

"Whah?" Ash asked without closing his mouth.

"Just keep it open, please." Very carefully Lisa took a pair of plastic tweezers and inserted them into Ash's open mouth.

"Lihah?"

"Hold still for a sec…"

Ash didn't understand what exactly Lisa was doing inside his mouth. Then he felt a tug on the inside of his cheek. Lisa pulled harder.

"LIHAH!"

"Easy…"

Whatever Lisa was pulling out, it finally gave. Ash settled down and put his hand on the cheek Lisa had ripped something out of. "Whah was that?" He mouthed.

Lisa smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." In the tweezers was a small white plastic case covered in tape and saliva. Everyone looked at it funny.

"What's this?"

"What was it doing in my mouth?"

Lisa set the thing down. Then, slipping on some gloves, she removed the tape from the mysterious tiny case. Then, picking it up, she popped the case open. It was a portable USB drive, very well protected.

"Um…anybody have a laptop?"

Nobody in the room did, but Lisa suddenly remembered where hers was and went out to collect it. She came back with a black laptop with a picture of a trucker on the back. Turning it on, the curious group inserted the USB drive.

On the drive were two files. One was titled 'Historical Celebration of Kalville'. Another was simply titled **'WATCH'**.

Lisa clicked it.

* * *

In the dead of the night, there was a door. Plain. Unremarkable. Nothing to look at really. The only reason it could be seen was because of the camera's night-vision capabilities.

The doorbell rang.

A weary Markus trudged up to the door. He recognized who it was, although the camera didn't see him.

"Dakos? It's after midnight! What's this about?"

"Nothing…"

**BLAM**

Markus, now with a bleeding hole in his head, fell to the floor with a frozen expression of shock on his face.

"Except killing two birds with one stone. Well, killing one and baiting the other, anyway."

The killer stepped in and sure enough, it was Dakos. "This'll get her attention." He muttered before producing a canteen of gas.

Utterly unaware that a hidden security camera was watching him, and that days later, a very shocked group of people would be watching.


	12. Chapter 11

Ash was pondering in the bus stop as he and his friends waited on the bench.

Once they had shown the video to the police, the cops wasted no time in issuing a warrant for Dakos' arrest. Ash could hear sirens, and glanced at the tall building that was Dakos' campaign headquarters. Police cars were surrounding the place.

Alyx had smuggled that evidence to the police through him…but why all the trouble? Why couldn't she just give it to them herself? Why was she involving him in this? Ash would've been glad to help bring this guy to justice, but the police seemed to have the situation under control, and right now all the group wanted was to leave this crazy town. They had reached a limit.

Why the scar?

Ash decided it was best to just settle on insanity.

The bus was late. When you're waiting for something impatiently, you become hypersensitive to your surroundings, hoping to hear what you're waiting for. But now that Ash thought about it, he barely heard anything at all. There was no music on the speakers, almost no milling of crowds, and no birdsong. Just the police sirens. It was almost scary.

Misty broke the silence. "Where's that stupid bus? Did the driver leave too? What's…?"

Something with four wheels came. It wasn't the bus, however. It was a blazing police car that fell from the sky, like a toy someone had chucked aside. The children gasped and stood up in absolute shock.

Ash turned to the building where Dakos was. It was an unbelievable sight. Wailing police cars were circling around the skyscraper as if caught in a whirlwind. There was a firestorm as well, but the building wasn't ablaze. The cars were.

"What's going on over there?"

A voice on the broadcasting system answered that question.

"Ha-HAH! You think you can arrest me? Please. The whole mayor nonsense was small potatoes. I've got REAL power now!" Dakos' voice had lost any and all friendliness. "_I am the EMPOURER! This is MY city! **And here's what happens to people who try to stop me**_!"

Another car flew off into the distance. And another. They were all chucked like toys in every direction. Another one came in the direction of the children, and exploded just a few feet away from them, the occupant still inside.

"Oh no!"

Ash grabbed Misty by the hand. "We gotta get some cover, or we'll get crushed by those cars!" No-one argued, exiting the bus stop as fast as they could. Another car came rolling down the street. The Jenny inside clambered out and ran away as fast as her legs could carry.

The children weren't sure exactly where they were running, but they had to get away from the hailing cars and the building that was tossing them aside before they got crushed.

* * *

"Jess, we need to get outta here!"

"This was your plan! I'm not gonna be dragging this thing. You said this would be the perfect plan! I am NOT leaving without something for the boss! I'm not!"

"Are you out of your mind, Jess?"

"It's da fear, it's getting' to her!"

"We SWORE that we would get Pikachu this time! You swore it! This is perfect! Perfect!"

"Dat was BEFORE the mayor went nutso! If we hang 'round here too long, we'll get killed by dose cars! Forget the sleeping gas!"

"Too late!"

A canister rolled into the children's path and hit them with a white gas. The children and Pikachu all coughed hard, the gas cloaking them like a thick fog.

"Jessie!"

"There! There!" Jessie was wild-eyed now, hopping with excitement. "Let's get 'em!"

The gas cleared, but the children weren't asleep at all. They all teetered for a minute, staring at nothing in particular with wide eyes. Then a loud siren cleared their heads, and they glared at the aggravating trio.

"What? It didn't work?" Jessie was on the verge of tears. James and Meowth stared hard at her. This was NOT the Jessie they knew.

"We don't have time to deal with you idiots!" And then they all ran past Team Rocket. Jessie stared blankly as the group vanished into the fog.

"Wasn't it sunny before?"

"Jessie, what is WRONG with you?"

"Whuzzah?" Now she was acting like she was just waking up.

"I think she sniffed some of dat knockout gas. Fermented indeed." Meowth groaned. "Now let's amscray!" They all ran as the siren blared. Meowth paused and looked around.

"But yeah…it _was_ sunny a minute ago…"

* * *

The group suddenly noticed they couldn't see more than a few meters in front of them. Not only had some strange fog appeared, it had gotten darker. Everything around them faded into grey shadows. What more, nobody seemed to be around. Kalville had been so vibrant when they first arrived, now it seemed…dead. Beyond dead. It was very chilling.

"Where are we?" Max nervously asked.

"We're lost again!" May groaned.

Brock squinted and faintly made out a few houses. "I think we're in the residential area. But where are all the residents?"

"Probably gone with everyone else." Misty groaned. "Like _we_ should've been a long time ago."

"Hey, somebody's coming!" Ash pointed towards something in the fog.

A person roughly their size was running towards them at top speed. As he came closer, it became clear he was a Pokemon Trainer, with a torn jacket, a bloody shirt and an expression of absolute horror.

"RUN!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "_RUN_! THEY'RE NOT POKEMON! THEY'RE _NOT_-"

He never finished.

Out of the fog erupted a huge cat-like creature, leaping onto the luckless trainer's back. Before he had even hit the ground, sharp fangs tore into the back of his neck. The trainer let out a final scream before hitting the ground, never to get up again.

Before the horrified eyes of Ash and his friends, a promising trainer's life had been violently ended. Just like that.

The boy's killer glanced up, blood still dripping from it's mouth. It was a huge cat, with a hideously burnt and emaciated body. Bloody bandages had been haphazardly strewn over the skeletal figure. A black thing that might've been a tail hung behind the legs. The creature's face resembled a blackened skull. The handle of a sickle had been thrust into the side of it's head forcefully. It's entire right eye could be seen through the socket, the other eye covered with a strip of rotten meat.

It saw the group.

Stepping over the fresh kill as if it was nothing important, the monster stalked towards the terrified group. It almost seemed to be smiling with anticipation, every one of it's teeth showing…

Pikachu didn't wait for a command. "Pika CHUUUUUUU!"

A powerful Thunderbolt blasted into the cat-thing. The monster spasmed and staggered for a second, then got itself back up and snarled ferociously.

Brock whipped out one of his Pokeballs. "Onix, GO!" He threw the orb into the air…

…and it fell right back down to the ground. The ball wriggled desperatly, showing that the occupant was trying to get out. But the Pokeball would simply not open.

"Wha…?"

The cat monster gave something that resembled that resembled a guttural snicker. Then, the horrible creature leapt at Brock with it's claws drawn and teeth bared. The children shrieked in terror, suddenly realizing this could easily be their last day on earth.

Pikachu intercepted the monster with a powerful Volt Tackle. The skull-headed monster was blasted far away, rolling onto the sidewalk several feet away from the group. Pikachu skillfully landed on his feet in front of the children. The creature tried to bring itself back onto it's feet, but another thunderbolt convinced it to flee. The monster vanished into the fog.

Ash regained his breath and composure. "Th-thanks, buddy."

Brock picked up his Pokeball while May and Max approached the felled trainer. Brock tapped the release button without any effect, a troubled expression on his face. "That's weird…" He tried another Pokeball. It wouldn't open either.

Ash and Misty checked their own Pokeballs. They found, to their growing alarm, that _none _of them were opening. It was as if the balls had been sealed. Misty and Brock were starting to get very worried.

May and Max found that there was nothing they could do for the attacked trainer except close his dead eyes. May sobbed in sorrow and horror. Stuff like this never happened, it wasn't supposed to happen, it couldn't happen…

Max wiped his eyes and looked away from the corpse. His eyes grew wide and he saw something in the distance.

"G-G-G-G-G-G-GUUUUYYYYYYS!"

Everyone looked up and gasped.

The cat monster had returned, and it wasn't alone. More horrors came lumbering out of the fog. They looked every bit as twisted and unnatural as the cat monster. All the children saw were the sharp claws, bloated bludgeons, and deadly teeth, all covered in red blood. The cat creature in the lead smiled hideously.

The trainers frantically pressed the buttons on their Pokeballs, but it became terribly clear that their teams couldn't aid them this time. Their Pokemon stayed sealed in the orbs. The creatures came in even closer. The group turned around, but there were even more behind them. They let out the most horrible sounds of amusement and anticipation as they closed in on the frightened group.

The children huddled together, praying that they would survive. Their chances didn't look good at all. There was nothing else, human or Pokemon, to aid them this time.

It was just them and the monsters.


	13. Chapter 12

_**BLAM!**_

The sudden loud noise made the creatures stop in their tracks. Max covered his ears quickly, surprised by the deafening sound. It was just in time too, as another shot rang out.

_**BLAM!**_

This one sounded closer. May looked towards where the noise was coming from. She could faintly make out a very human figure walking towards them from one of the houses. He yelled threateningly before firing his rifle again. "GET AWAY FROM THEM!"

Another shot. One of the larger monsters shrieked in response and fell to the ground. The other creatures began to disperse, running off into the grayness. The cat creature snarled angrily at the man. The man clicked his gun again, and the skull-headed killer fled.

The group looked up at their savior. He only beckoned them to come with him. "Hurry! Before more show up!" They needed no second bidding. The group followed the man into his house. Once they were all inside, the door was slammed shut and locked. Ash and his friends tried to catch their breaths.

"You kids alright?"

Ash looked up at the man who had saved their lives. He was a tall man, not particularly fat or thin. Small glasses were perched over deep brown eyes. His hair was dark brown, almost black. His clothes were nondescript, a weathered coat and jeans. He was someone who wouldn't really be noticed under normal circumstances. Right now, he was the greatest person in the world.

May swiftly wrapped her arms around the man, squealing in sheer joy. "Thank you so much! Thank you!"

Their savoir smiled warmly. "You're…you're welcome. Heh."

Max joined his sister. "Yeah thanks so much mister!"

The 'mister' patted the boy's head reassuringly. "It's alright now."

It was alright, everyone mentally repeated. The terror that had just happened was past…for now. Misty sat by the covered window, trying to stop her knees from shaking. Brock sat down, almost exhausted. Ash held a shaking Pikachu in his lap, trying to calm them both down.

May and Max finally released the man, who gasped for breath for a moment. Max wobbled a little. May noticed it, and asked if he was OK.

"Kinda…I'm a little thirsty." Max mumbled.

"There's some juice in the fridge."

"I'll get it." Ash volunteered, Pikachu hopping onto his shoulder. "Where's the kitchen, mister…"

"Oh…Satos. My name's Satos."

"Satos." Misty repeated. "Thank you for saving us, Satos."

"No problem. I saw you being threatened by those…creatures and I felt I should help. What were those things?"

"We don't know…" Ash answered. "The kitchen?"

"Oh yeah, it's over there." Satos pointed towards a door in the house. Ash walked over, shaking just a little. Satos shook his head. "First the mayor goes nuts, then this fog and siren, and now these monsters roaming the streets! It's like some kind of bad dream."

"Yeah. And I wanna wake up soon." Max sighed.

Brock suddenly remembered his manners. "Oh, I'm Brock, by the way."

"My name's Misty."

"M-May."

"And I'm Max."

"I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu." Ash answered from his position just outside the kitchen.

"It's nice to meet you all." Satos turned to Ash curiously. "Ash…that's an interesting name."

"Thanks." Ash shrugged as he opened the fridge door.

"Ash…" Satos mused, as if trying to remember something. "Where do you live?"

"Uh, Pallet Town. Why?"

Satos' eye grew wide. "Pallet Town…"

"You ever been there before?" Ash took some juiceboxes from the fridge.

"Yeah…yeah I have. A long time ago."

Ash closed the fridge door. "Really? That's…" It was then Ash noticed something on the fridge door. Something that made his eyes grow wide. He simply stared at it for a minute, not making a sound.

"Ash?"

Ash blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things. It couldn't be…could it? He took the flat thing off the door and brought it up to his face. Forgotten juiceboxes clattered on the floor.

"_Ash_? What is it?"

Ash numbly stepped out of the kitchen, holding the thing in front of his face. Then he looked at Satos and turned the thing around so everyone could see it.

It was a picture, custom made to be a fridge magnet. Satos was in it, but in a snappy black tuxedo. Beside him was a young woman with red hair in a gorgeous wedding dress. Both were beaming with happiness.

Ash knew the woman. "That's my mom…"

Everyone's eyes went wide. There was a total silence. Everyone looked at Satos as what Ash was saying sunk in. The man lowered his head slightly and smiled.

"Ash Ketchum."

The boy's eyes grew even wider than before. His mouth fell open in shock, uttering a single word.

"…Dad?"

Satos didn't contradict it, and that was enough of an answer for Ash.

"DAD!" Before anyone could blink, Ash had wrapped his arms around his long-lost father. Tears of joy were in his young eyes. Satos returned the hug, not saying a word. No-one dared to break the silence this time, leaving the two to their reunion. It was a long time before Ash finally spoke again.

"I can't believe it, I…It's unbelievable! I always hoped for this…"

"Me too…" Satos sighed. "We got so much to talk about…"

"Yeah, like…" Ash removed his arms, a confused expression on his face. He felt so many different things he couldn't figure it out. "Like…why did you go? Why'd I never hear from you?"

Satos gulped in shame. Ash's expression became even more troubled, almost angry. "Why did you just _leave_ us? Why didn't I ever…?"

"SHHHH!"

Ash turned a furious eye at Misty. "WHAT?"

"QUIET! Do you guys hear something?"

Ash seethed in frustration, but didn't say anything. No-one else did, and sure enough, there was a noise. Distant, distorted barking.

Ash gasped. He had heard that noise outside his hotel door the night before he was kidnapped…

Misty peered through the blinds. Almost immediately, she screamed in panic. "OH MY GOD!"

"What?" May demanded, starting to panic as well. Ash ran to the window and pulled two blinds apart. What he saw was even more terrifying than the cat creature.

Monstrous dogs were approaching the house, barking and snarling like eager hounds on the trail of a fox. They had to be close for Ash to see them in the fog. And right behind them was the unmistakable silhouette of Pyramid Head. Pointed helmet and all.

Ash whirled around. "It's the killer from the butcher shop! We gotta get out of here!"

Everyone gasped. The barking grew even louder, until it was almost at the door.

"I got a car back here, c'mon!" Satos turned and ran, the children following him down one of the hallways. Ash chanced a backwards glance.

The door rattled on it's lock for a moment, and then the colossal blade of Pyramid Head stabbed through the door. Ash didn't watch any more, hurrying to catch up to his friends and father.

The panicked group tore through a hallway that seemed far too long to a wooden doorway leading to the garage. They could hear the front door shattering behind them. The most hideous barking began to close in on them, with the unmistakable pitter-patter of clawed paws on the floor…

Ash, who was at the rear of the group, whirled around and saw what looked like a skinned dog without eyes or ears charge towards them. Without thinking, Ash grabbed a baseball bat that was conveniently nearby. It was just in time…the dog leapt at the boy, all it's sharp teeth ready to kill.

_WHACK_

The dog was smashed back by the bat, forced into a picture frame on the wall. It crumpled to the floor, stunned. Two other dogs paused at the entrance of the hallway on seeing their comrade knocked out. One had rotten flesh, and a snakelike tongue that hung down in the grossest manner. The other could've passed for a normal dog covered in bandages if it's head had not been split down the middle.

"ASH!"

The boy didn't stick around to confront the other dogs, or their master. He turned and bolted through the door, being sure to slam it behind him. The lock was turned, although they all felt it was a futile gesture. The wood rattled as multiple creatures smashed into it.

Satos' red truck was large enough to fit all of them, and they hurriedly packed themselves inside. Satos got himself into the driver's seat, and with the push of a button, began to open the garage door. Ash placed himself beside his father, and everyone buckled their seatbelts.

The garage door creeped open.

The door to the house was bashed repeatedly by Pyramid Head's dogs. _Bangbangbangbang_! It was inevitable that their master would get weary and use his knife.

The garage door was about half open now.

The engine of the truck was running now, ready to bolt at the soonest opportunity. The children's eyes kept darting back and forth between the slowly opening door and the door that wouldn't remain closed for long.

The garage door was three quarters open.

A huge sheet of metal appeared through the smaller door.

"To hell with it." Satos decided. Placing the truck in reverse, the man slammed his foot on the accelerator.

The bottom part of the garage door was sheared off by the retreating vehicle. Satos' truck barreled backwards onto the street, and with some speedy gear action, the red truck was driving down the street, through the fog, past the monsters, away from Satos' house.

Ash glanced in the rear-view mirror. Pyramid Head ran into the street, staring at the escaping vehicle without giving any chase. The boy watched his shrinking shadow vanish into the fog. He sighed with relief. But then he remembered this wasn't the first time he thought he saw the last of the helmeted man.

The drive was hardly uneventful. The monstrosities seemed to be constantly congregating on the truck, but they were able to outrun every one. They all snarled in frustration and fury, swiping at the truck with claws and beating it with their 'wings'. But eventually, a sign appeared from the fog, carrying a message everyone was glad to receive.

_You are now leaving Kalville._

No-one liked what they saw underneath.

_Hope you enjoyed your stay!_

Come back soon.

That was the last thing anyone in the truck wanted to do, as they drove out of Kalville, planning never to return.

Pyramid Head smashed his spear onto the ground in pure frustration. His dogs fled, not wanted to be near their master when he was in this mood. A loud sigh came from the iron helmet.

The boy was gone.

He couldn't have that.

With that in mind, the huge helmeted man left the streets, a specific destination in mind, a plan being put in action.

THe boy was **not** going to leave.


	14. Chapter 13

The night was dark and refreshingly calm. The fog was still present, and Satos had to turn on his powerful car lights. Now that they were out of Kalville, the creatures hadn't followed Satos' truck. The group was relaxed for the first time in what seemed like ages. They weren't asleep, though. As they recalled, the bus had gone through several twists and turns to get to Kalville, so they felt it would be some time before they were any real distance from the cursed town.

Ash gazed blankly out the window at the shadowed forest they were riding past. The silence in the car was palpable and uncomfortable. Satos glanced at his quiet son, not sure if he should start a conversation just now.

Ash finally broke the silence. "You never called."

Satos sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you call?"

Satos shrugged. "I...I got caught up in my journey."

"So caught up you just forgot about us?" Ash turned angrily.

"Don't criticize me until it's happened to you." Satos replied as calmly as he could. "You get so focused on accomplishing your dreams, everything else becomes..." Satos sighed again. "Peripheral. You get closer and closer and you forget about everything...and everyone around you."

Ash simply exhaled and turned back to the window. "Ten years? That's a long time to have just forgotten."

May interjected. "Ash, you never even _thought_ about your father until...she brought it up."

"I didn't know who he was!"

"You didn't realize that until Al..."

"SHUT UP! I don't wanna hear any more about Alyx!" Ash snapped. There was a stunned silence after this outburst. Satos kept driving, keeping his eyes on the road. Ash groaned and watched out the window.

After a while, Satos spoke again, a little harshly. "Did you even try to find me?"

Ash didn't answer, staring hard at his reflection. Then he lowered his head and acknowledged the truth. "No." Satos was right...he shouldn't have judged his father when he had done the same thing. Satos didn't need to reply.

There was yet another silence. It was starting to get tiresome. Eventually Ash turned to his father. "So, what did you wanna be?"

Satos smiled a little. "I wanted to challenge the champion of each region. Didn't really care if I would win or lose, just...be able to face them."

Ash smiled back. "I'm gonna be the greatest Pokemon Master in the world!"

Satos chuckled a little. "You will be one day. I can tell."

Ash laughed, at ease again. "That's what mom tells me."

"How is she?"

"Great. Just great."

"She's a great person. That's why I married her."

"Yeah, I can tell." Ash shrugged. "She probably thought so too. With…you I mean."

Satos smiled, and then turned his attention back on the road. "Thanks, son."

The group in the back sighed with relief. It had been as if the fog in town had still been hanging over them, first the fear of getting out of town alive, and then the tension between Ash and his father. Now it was passed, and they could relax again.

"Dad..."

"We'll catch up when we get to the next town."

"Alright." Ash smiled. "I got so much to tell you."

"Me too."

Now that that was settled, Max leaned forward and asked a question that had been on his mind ever since the drive began, but he didn't say out loud due to the situation.

"Can we turn on the radio, please?"

Ash and Satos gave him identical looks. Max grinned sheepishly and sat back down. Satos chuckled slightly and switched the car radio on.

There was nothing but a loud static. Ash quickly turned down the volume and began adjusting the station knob. It took him a while to find a station that wasn't simply crackling with more electronic noise.

"Signal should be better than this..." Satos muttered.

"The monsters probably damaged the antennae while we were..."

"Brock, be quiet." Ash interrupted. "Here we go."

He had found a working, clear signal now. There was a brief piano riff, simple and forceful. And then a voice began talking.

**_"Good evening, children. Tonight, I'm going to tell you a story that is old but new."_ **The voice on the radio was deep, powerful and intimidating, even though it came from a small metal box. The words rumbled like an earthquake. Anyone who heard this voice would connect it to someone very dangerous. This wasn't a voice that would normally be associated with telling children's stories. **_"The story of the Empress and the Executioner."_**

"I'm really not in the mood for a story." Max sighed.

Ash understood, and turned the station knob. The voice continued, apparently ignoring what the boy was doing. Satos glanced down before checking the way.

**_"Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in the midst of a great forest, beside a silent lake. A kingdom of iron and steel, on lands blessed by the 'gods'."_**

"Huh?" Ash twisted the knob again. It didn't do anything to interrupt the storyteller with the deep voice.

**_"Ruling over this land was a young Empress. She ruled with justice and wisdom. All who obeyed the laws and pleased the Empress were rewarded, and lived in peace. All who did not were silenced by the Executioner, the most loyal subject of the Empress."_**

Everyone was starting to get disturbed now. Ash was tapping the volume and power on the radio now, but the storyteller simply would not be quieted or interrupted.

**_"All was well in this kingdom, until one day, an evil king came from faraway lands to take the power away from the Empress."_**

The voice stopped their, and the occupants of the car all stared at the radio for a moment. "That was weird." "Yeah." "Wonder what's wrong with the radi-"

And then the voice came back.** _"Do you honestly think that you will just LEAVE__, boy?"_ **it snarled.** _"Before we are finished with you?___**

Think again."

Ash looked up. "DAD, THE ROAD!"

Satos whipped his gaze back onto the roadway. He saw it through the darkness and fog. Someone or something was standing in the middle of the road, waiting. Something huge. Satos swerved to miss it, spinning the steering wheel to evade the obstacle without falling off the road into the woods.

He would've succeeding if the 'obstacle' hadn't leapt onto his hood like a lion. Ash looked up and screamed.

Standing on the truck's engine, visible through the windshield, was Pyramid Head.

The iron spear smashed through the window, shattering the glass and sprinkling fragments into the car. Satos gasped and reared back in panic as the point wedged itself firmly in the steering wheel. Pyramid Head twisted his spear, turning the steering wheel sharply to the right. The car turned just as sharply.

Before anyone could do anything, Satos' truck had smashed through the road barricade and plummeted into the woods.

That was the last thing the children remembered before blacking out.


	15. Chapter 14

Ash was actually surprised he didn't have yet another nightmare. Then again, what he woke up to could be called a nightmare. Pikachu was nudging him awake, a fearful expression on his face.

The first thing Ash saw when he groggily opened his eyes was the empty driver's seat above him. It took him a minute to figure out he was lying on the passenger window, suspended by his seatbelt. He shook his head clear and looked again. His father was still gone when he blinked again. The seatbelt had been torn, and the driver door had been ripped off. Behind it was nothing but that grey mist.

"D-dad...?" He mumbled, hoping somehow that Satos was still nearby. Hoping that he would reply. He didn't.

The silence woke him up. The boy hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and promptly fell onto the passenger window with Pikachu. The boy groaned. The truck was on it's side. If he was going to get out, he'd have to climb up to the driver's side and get out the hole.

Gripping the seats, the trainer pulled himself up with some effort. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder as they heroically hoisted themselves towards the exit.

When they got on the driver's seat, a loud creaking noise stopped them. No, not a creaking...it was as if the truck itself was moaning.

"Ulp..."

Ash's entire world rotated 45 degrees as the truck fell back onto it's belly. The truck slammed loudly on the gravelly ground, jarring the other occupants of the car. The others! Ash felt absolutely ashamed that he had forgotten about them. When the vehicle had settled back on the ground, Ash clambered between the seats to look in the back.

Misty, Max, May, Brock. They were all still there! And judging by the way they were all groaning and shifting, they were still alive. _Thank god_ Ash thought. "Guys! Guys, wake up!"

May opened her eyes first. "A-Ash? What...happened?"

Max blinked, still only half-awake. "Where's my glasses?" May found them on the floor and quickly replaced them. One of the lenses was broken, but Max didn't seem to mind.

Brock groaned himself awake. "Is everybody alright?"

"I think so..." Misty was the last to wake up. She shook her head clear and looked at Ash. "Ash? What's wrong?"

"Satos...my dad's gone!" Ash answered frantically. Suddenly remembering that, he turned and tumbled out of the hole where the car's door had once been.

He hit sand...no, gravel. But the kind you'd find beside water. Ash got himself up to his feet and looked up and out. The fog still hadn't cleared, weighing down on the boy's mind and hope. But he could still make out something. A rowboat appeared in the fog, and Ash realized they were right beside a huge lake.

Ash stared out at the water for a while. Eventually he figured out what was on the other side of the lake. He could faintly make out the lights of Kalville's amusement park.

Kalville. Pyramid Head. It all came together. The shock of it all forced him to sit numbly on the shore. Tears began to well up in his eyes, his head sinking. He had finally met his father after so many years, and he had been taken away from him before he could truly reconnect. How could he describe it? It was like...a part of him had been ripped away, a part he had only just discovered. As if the world was hell-bent on keeping him from becoming whole.

Ash's gaze fell upon his reflection in the still water. His face warped into a furious scowl when he saw Alyx in his reflection. The boy smashed his fist into the water, but the way it rippled, it looked like Alyx was laughing at his pain.

"Ash...?"

Ash whirled around and saw Misty beside him. He gasped for breath and tried to regain his composure, having been seconds away from a violent outburst at his friend. The boy gulped hard and babbled for a minute. "He took him...he took him, I didn't even get to know him, what I'd ever do to him to deserve this, to them, what, why..."

Misty put a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder, not saying anything. Ash tried not to sob and failed.

Meanwhile, Brock and May looked over the truck. It had been gutted, for lack of a better word. The door was gone, and the engine had been torn out. The tires were ripped off, and the underside of the vehicle was nothing more than a mangled mess of metal. This truck would never drive again. Brock kicked at it resigningly.

"Now what do we do?" May groaned. Brock didn't have an answer for her.

Pikachu hopped onto Ash's lap. He didn't notice, still staring out at the distant lights of the cursed town Kalville. The boy was as still and silent as a statue, staring down the lake. Concentrating. Thinking.

May paced around the worthless truck, kicking a pebble in utter frustration. Max sat quietly on a nearby boulder, overwhelmed by all that had happened in the space of a day. Brock looked at Misty and Ash, just sitting there on the shore, wishing he could do something.

Finally, Ash stood up. His eyes were dry, and his expression was stolid. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat and uncompromising.

"I have to find my father."

Max, Misty and May all blinked. His announcement hung in the air for a moment. Brock eventually asked his question.

"Do you...know where he is?"

"Yeah." Ash sighed. He glanced at the lake, the lights on the other side, and the rowboat.

May read his mind. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" She ran up and forced Ash to look her in the eyes. "You know what's back there! Are you honestly gonna get yourself killed? You know as well as I do that Satos could be –"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Ash shoved her away furiously. May looked up at her implacable friend. "What would you have me do? Run like a coward? Well?"

May didn't answer. A hundred answers came to her mind, each and every one bad. She just gulped as she realized how dead serious Ash was about this. She knew Ash. When he put his mind to something, he didn't give up. She couldn't answer him, and neither could anyone else.

Brock decided he should express something important. "Listen. We don't know where exactly we are, or even if the road is close. All I know is that the woods are thick and it's miles to the next town. And we can't navigate very well in this fog. We don't have a map or any supplies..."

At the mention of supplies, Max's stomach growled loudly. Everyone heard it, and the young boy chuckled nervously. Misty checked her pokeballs, and they still were malfunctioning. No-one moved, though.

Ash's mind had been made up. He began walking purposely towards the rowboat, but then Misty grabbed him by the arm.

"Ash..."

"Misty, I..."

"I know. We're going with you."

That stopped Ash in his tracks. He looked back at his friends, expecting an argument or even a hesitation. There wasn't any. They were coming with him to the most dangerous place they had ever known. To help him find his father and get them all away from here. Tears appeared in the boy's eyes at the loyalty of his friends. "Thank you..."

May smiled slightly. "It's ok. We're not gonna just let you get yourself killed."

"No way"

"Let's go."


	16. Chapter 15

Ash had responsibly decided to row. With steady strokes he moved the small rowboat and it's occupants across the still lake, towards the lights of the amusement park. Brock, May, Max and Misty were watching in all four directions for anything amiss. Pikachu was sitting beside Ash, plaintively watching it's trainer guide the rowboat back to Kalville.

May broke the chilling silence. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Ash nearly smirked. "Are you kidding? This is the worst idea I've ever had. But it's the only option we got."

Nobody asked him, but Brock felt he should explain again. "We need to get a map, supplies, some way to get out of this place..."

"...And my dad, don't forget." Ash added.

"Yeah. And the only place nearby where we can find all that is..."

"Kalville. We know." Misty sighed, staring out at the impenetrable mist. The group fell into silence again, watching for anything on the lake surface. Luckily, there was nothing to see on the surface except the distant lights.

There was plenty to hear, though. As the boat came closer, the unmistakable sounds of the horrific creatures began ringing through the air. Shrieks of laughter and cries of pain echoed over the lake surface, a loud siren blaring constantly. Brock guessed that the creatures were attacking each other now, in violent territorial squabbles. The noises grew louder and louder as the boat drifted closer. The siren seemed to act as a desperate warning to whoever heard it.

The children shivered, but didn't turn back.

Ash saw the wooden pier appear in the mist. Somehow he knew that was the exact same pier he had been on when he confronted the fact of his father's absence. And now here he was again. How ironic. With a little effort, he guided the rowboat towards the pier.

The boat was tied to the wooden walkway with some handy rope, and the group clambered onto the deck. Misty and May kept a sharp watch for any creatures in the mist as Ash, Brock, Max and Pikachu brushed and braced themselves. There were no monsters in sight, or at least as far as they could see in the thick fog. They didn't hear anything nearby…all the noises of bloody battle were distant. They were still there, though. This town was more dangerous than anything they had ever been through before. But they had much to do before they could leave.

"Where do we start?" Misty asked.

May jumped and shrieked at the noise of a loud growl right behind her. The wide-eyed girl whirled around to face whatever horrific, murderous monstrosity had snuck up behind her, striking what she thought was a defensive pose.

It was her brother. Max smiled sheepishly and everyone groaned. "_Supplies_."

* * *

It was only a short walk to the Amusement Park, but it was the tensest ten minutes the group had ever known. Every noise was amplified, and every distant cry sounded as if it was right next to them. More than once Pikachu had fired a thunderbolt at an approaching noise, only to connect with nothing. Brock had advised Pikachu to conserve it's energy for when it was needed. The idea of running out of the only thing they had for protection didn't help the nerves of the children.

Every step was slowly taken, every pair of eyes in a different direction. The only thing that was more chilling than the cries of the creatures was the silence…they had only just noticed the siren had stopped wailing. Between each scream was a deathly silence, without birdsong, music or even the rustle of the wind to break it. The sound of knocking knees could be faintly heard, though no-one wanted to admit it was them. Beads of sweat clung to their foreheads as they waited for the inevitable monster attack. They could hear the sweat dripping from their heads.

But for all that stress, the trod to Kalville amusement park was uneventful. No creatures attacked them, and before they knew it, the cheery façade of the park appeared in the fog. That was when they decided to breathe again.

The group, still keeping a wary eye on their surroundings, crept through the ruined park. The place had been torn apart by the creatures…the rides had been ripped to pieces, the tents reduced to rags, and the food had been scattered by whoever had been in the park when the monsters attacked. Popcorn and hot dogs were strewn across the fairway by the fleeing men, women and children. Strangely, there was no living thing in the fairground. No people, no monsters, nothing. Just the children, staring numbly at the carnage all around them.

May then noticed someone sitting languidly on one of the park benches. It was a man in a Pikachu costume. The girl stepped up to him carefully. "Um...excuse me, do you know where the...uh, food place is?"

She got no answer. May asked again, stepping a little closer to the bright yellow costume. Still the man said nothing. He hadn't moved, either. May figured he was passed out. She asked again, a little louder. Still nothing.

May was right behind him now, and shook his shoulder gently. "Hello...?"

The man fell off the bench like a rag doll, flopping onto the ground with the sound of a wet meatsack. Numerous cuts that had been hidden by the bench, not to mention the crimson blood dripping out of them, told May this man hadn't been sleeping. She screamed again, rearing back and nearly toppling over Brock. The young man did his best to soothe his horrified friend. May eventually sat down on a convenient plastic rock.

Misty's eyes darting around the empty park. It seemed empty, but she kept hearing a rattling and tapping somewhere. But everywhere she looked, there was no living thing to see. The fog had only lightened somewhat, she could see a few feet in front of her. But it was still dark...Misty would have to guess it was only a few minutes into dawn. She had lost all track of time in the crash, and she figured it didn't matter.

Max rubbed his glasses and saw the sign for the amusement park food court. Squinting his eyes, he could see a handful of stands advertising hot dogs, soft drinks and popcorn. Max's stomach growled at the sight. The boy quickly drew Ash's attention to the stands.

"Alright, let's fill up our backpacks with some of this stuff before we get moving again." Brock decided, walking over to the stands. Shellshocked May stayed where she was.

"Yeah," Misty bitterly groaned. "I'd rather not die of starvation before I get killed." Regardless, she opened up one of the storage boxes in the back of the hot dog stand. Ash rummaged through a soft drink stand and found several plastic bottles he could store in his knapsack. Brock found a pokefood stand, and stockpiled a bag of feed as well as some hamburgers.

Max had taken the candy stand. He stuffed a few bars in his pocket and gobbled up several more. Fear made him very hungry. He checked over his shoulder to make sure his sister was still where she was. She was.

"...d...d...daddy..."

Max whirled around at the sound of a child's sob. The crying was coming from inside the stockroom of the candy stand. It was very faint...only Max could've heard it. The boy opened the door a crack and saw a small figure in the back. It looked like a little boy crying...feeling sympathy, Max cautiously stepped into the stockroom.

The small figure kept sobbing. "Daddy...daddy...daddy..."

Max crept closer and moved a comforting hand to the crying child. "Hey..."

"You're not my daddy." The figure snarled. It stood up and turned around, and Max suddenly wished he hadn't gone into the stockroom.

"EEEEEEEEEAUGH!"

Her brother's scream woke May out of her shocked state. Everyone whirled around to where the terrified cry had come from.

They saw a wild-eyed Max tear out of the stockroom of the candy shop. The boy slipped on one of the chocolate bar wrappers and fell flat on his face.

Out of the door behind him appeared something out of a Grimm fairy tale. It looked like a small child, but the head and neck had been ripped off and replaced with a lizard's skull. One eye stared out of the right socket, the other empty and dripping with a mixture of blood and tears. It's skin was clammy and grey, and the creature was covered in burn bandages and splattered in blood. It slowly approached the fallen Max, raising a tiny knife in it's hand. The skull-headed child was almost on top of Max when a well-aimed rock forced it to drop the knife.

"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" May screamed as she ran towards the monster. The creature blankly looked at the girl as Max scuttled back to his feet. On seeing his target trying to get away, the monster grabbed the boy by the back of his collar and picked the small knife back up off the ground. Max struggled himself free from the small creature's grasp, prompting the grey monster to start chasing him.

It didn't get far before May showed up and gave the little demon a powerful kick. The small creature tumbled onto the ground as May pulled Max away and rejoined the group. Max was gasping for breath. Ash and Pikachu stepped in front of the group for protection. The children glanced at the tiny monster getting back onto it's feet.

It let out a loud hiss, and then something that resembled a gasp. "_Daddy!_" it shrieked in the distorted voice of a small boy.

"Daddy?"

"Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" _"Daddy!" "Daddy!"_

The children gasped. Those cries were coming from everywhere in the park now. Their eyes darted around. Many more of the small creatures were crawling out of every shadow, ride, and hole in Kalville Amusement park. The skull headed children were clambering down the roller coaster tracks in swarms, and there seemed to be at least 10 of them in each of the rides and buildings. A legion of the knife-wielding monsters closed in on the group from every side.

"_DADDY__**DADDY!**_"


	17. Chapter 16

The knife-wielding children closed in, and the group searched for an exit somewhere. They didn't find one...the creatures were everywhere. The park exit and entrance were blocked off, and there seemed to be no place that the small creatures couldn't swarm. The shrieking gnomes kept coming in with their tiny knives.

Pikachu shocked the closest ones back, but that only seemed to strengthen the army's drive. "DaddydaddydaddyDADDY!" They were running towards the terrified children now, knives drawn and arms open. They had to think fast. If they stayed here, they would soon be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers no matter how hard they fought. And it wouldn't be long before the loud cries of the children alerted the other monsters in town. But where could they go?

Brock saw something that gave him an inspiration. He grabbed Ash and Misty by the wrists. "This way guys!" Not sure what he was planning, but trusting their friend, the group ran with him. The screaming monsters chased them, screaming like abandoned children. "_Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Don't go!_" May would've felt sorry for them if they weren't carrying knives.

Misty yelped in pain. One of the creatures had caught up with them and imbedded it's knife in her leg. She gave a sharp backwards kick and the skull-headed child tumbled back into the legion. Without hesitating Misty limped to catch up with her friends. The army snarled angrily at the escaping group.

Brock ran ahead of the group and kneeled beside a large manhole cover.

"You're joking!" May snapped.

"Got any better ideas?" Ash challenged. The knife-wielding legion was closing in faster and faster, screaming louder and louder. "DADDY! NO!"

Ash had grabbed one end of the manhole cover, Brock holding the other. Between the two of them, they easily lifted the heavy metal circle. Ash hurriedly beckoned the others to go down the hole into the sewer system.

"NOOO!" One of the skull-headed children leapt at Ash. A thunderbolt from Pikachu forced it down onto the ground. Max and May jumped down into the hole, with Misty following them shortly. She groaned in pain on hitting the concrete floor below, but moved to make way for the next person.

At Brock's urging, Ash grabbed Pikachu and jumped down into the sewers. The screams of the creatures grew louder as they drew closer. Brock grabbed the edge of the manhole cover and quickly stepped down the ladder rungs inside. There were several metal rungs inside the sewer, leading up to a particular manhole cover. For his position just below the hole, Brock struggled to drag the cover back over the gap.

The shrieking skull children were almost on top of the manhole. One of them managed to get it's hand between the manhole cover and the edge of the sewer. The wrist twisted to find Brock, the knife whipping closer to his face. With a grunt of exertion, Brock forcefully slammed the manhole cover into the creature's wrist, forcing it to drop the tiny knife and retreat. With nothing to block it, the cover slid over the manhole again.

Brock took a breath as the creatures desperately pounded at the sealed hole, sobbing. "_DAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYY!_" Praying that the small monsters wouldn't be able to lift the heavy cover, Brock rejoined his friends at the bottom of the sewer pipeline.

There was nothing to see in the sewers except pipes and flowing water...though the water content was very questionable. The group sat down, gasping for breath. "That was too close." Max breathed. No-one argued. Misty looked down and noticed the creature's knife was still in her leg. Wincing, she removed it and Brock haphazardly bandaged the cut with what few medical supplies he had in his knapsack. Misty bit her teeth, and clenched the tiny blade in her hand. After they had calmed down sufficiently, Brock took out a flashlight and a map.

"I managed to get this off one of the kiosks before Max got attacked." Flattening the map out on the ground, he scrutinized it carefully. It was a map of Kalville in general, with cheery advertisements regarding the many ways you can enjoy yourself in this tourist's paradise. Hiding from murderous monsters in the dark sewer, the map seemed like an obnoxious slap to the face. Regardless, everyone looked at it carefully.

"Where do you think Satos is?" Brock asked.

Ash gulped. "I...I guess the same place they took me. Markus' house. Where was that again?"

Misty thought for a moment, and then pointed to the 'Sudowoodo Oaks residential area'. "Somewhere here. I remember running past the sign when I was trying to find you."

"And where are we now?"

"The Amusement Park." Max pointed to a brightly colored overview of the place. He really wished he had gone in there before all this had happened. It would've been a fun day.

"So if we head west..."

"Anybody got a compass?"

"The Pokenav might have one..." Max took out the item and turned it on. However, the Pokenav wouldn't work, and instead perpetually buzzed with a bizarre static. Fortunately, Brock had one in the side of his backpack. After a brief pause he pointed down one of the sewer tunnels. Shining his flashlight into the darkness, a dripping passageway filled with garbage came into view.

"Do we have to go through there?" Max groaned.

"Yeah, unless you wanna get eaten by the creatures up on the streets."

"We'll be safer down here." Brock tried to assure the others.

"Safe?"

"Safer."

May gulped in fear. This was not the vacation she was expecting when she first came to Kalville.

* * *

"Do I even _want_ to know what we're stepping in?" Misty hadn't looked down, but the noise of her ankle sinking into muck was less than a soothing sound.

Brock looked down with his flashlight. "Not really."

The group squelched through the mess with more than a little disgust. They had been walking for a few hours now. Under normal circumstances they might've stopped to get some food, but the stench of the sewers (and the seriousness of the situation) had caused the children to lose their appetites.

"You sure we're going the right way?" Ash muttered.

Brock shone his light down onto the compass. "Pretty sure."

"_Pretty sure_? That's what you always say when..."

"We're _lost_?"

"We're not lost!" Brock retorted. Realizing how harsh he just sounded, he apologized. "Listen, we'll check where we are when we get to the next manhole."

"And when would that be?" May groaned.

Brock shone his light and saw a ladder a short distance away. "Not too long now. C'mon, we can't stop here."

"No, let's not." Misty muttered as their footsteps squished down the corridor. _Squish squish squish squish_

SCHLORP

That last noise made everyone stop. It wasn't them. Brock whirled around to make sure that everyone was still there. They were. May gulped and turned to Ash. "Probably just a...rattata, right?"

_Probably not_, Ash thought. But he didn't say it out loud. "Let's...just keep moving." He spoke with conviction and determination, trying desperately to keep his teeth from chattering.

_SKCHLORGPH_

The group looked at Brock. His flashlight was shaking like a leaf in his hand, and his normally calm face had warped into a mask of fear. He wasn't looking at his friends. He was looking at something behind them.

As soon as that thought registered, the children whirled around and gasped.

Something huge was rising up out of the slime. A large lump in the muck was growing bigger and bigger. It looked like a colossal bubble forming, but it was too thick and solid to be anything other than a creature. It grew and grew until it was bigger than the children. Pikachu began sparking it's cheeks, anticipating a fight. As soon as that thing appeared out of the muck, it would learn a hard lesson about stalking Pikachu's friends.

But nothing appeared out of the muck. The huge bubble suddenly split in half and bellowed. A huge mouth had appeared out of the sludge, complete with filthy teeth and saliva. The roar echoed loudly in the cramped sewer pipe, causing the children to wince.

No monster was hiding in the sludge, the sludge _was_ the monster. And the group was ankle-deep in it.

"RUN!" May screamed. No-one had to be told twice, and they took off in the direction of the ladder. It was not fast-going…the sentient sludge grabbed at them with disgusting 'hands', and tiny mouths kept appearing and biting at their feet. Every step seemed to be an effort to keep their feet from getting stuck in the slime. It was as if they were moving in slow motion. May nearly toppled over but was righted in the nick of time by Ash. No-one wanted to know what would happen if they fell here.

The rungs were within their reach now. Brock stepped right into one of the grotesque jaws, and the teeth clamped around his leg like a Shellder. Before he could free his foot, Ash collided with him forcefully, nearly toppling them both over. Fortunately the force was enough to rip Brock's foot out of the monster's maw.

The boys stumbled forward, the ladder rungs hitting them right in the face. There was no time to register pain or embarrassment…they had to get away. Brock went up first, darting up the ladder as fast as he could go. They boy glanced up and realized the manhole cover was still in place. He didn't stop however, and braced himself for impact by putting his arm in front of his face.

"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He slammed into the cover at full speed. The metal disc flipped off the manhole, clattering onto the street. Brock hurriedly clambered out of the now-clear exit. Ash and Pikachu came out next, with a gasping May and Max close behind.

"Where's Misty?"

With her slight limp, Misty had fallen slightly behind. She struggled to free her foot from one of the muck monsters grasping hands. Misty was a strong girl and she succeeded in getting herself out of the monsters gruesome clutches and to the ladder. Then she saw something that made her freeze.

The removal of the manhole cover had caused light to filter down into the sewer. Misty could faintly see what looked like a tidal wave approaching her. But instead of water, it was made out of the sludge creature, and the foam at the top of the wave was teeth. Misty glanced behind her, and sure enough another wave, the other half of the creature's mouth, was bearing down on her at all speed. Misty couldn't move, paralyzed with fright.

A gloved hand grabbed her by the wrist. Misty looked up and saw her old friend from Pallet Town. Brock, May and Max were holding on to Ash, and once they saw Ash had a hold of Misty, they pulled up hard and fast. Misty was hoisted off the ground, and just cleared the closing jaws of the sewer monster. As soon as the last person was out of the sewer hole, Brock wasted no time in replacing the manhole cover.

"Thank you…thank you." Misty whimpered with relief.

Ash smiled slightly. "You're welcome." The boy glance around him. With the fog, all he could understand about his surroundings was that they were in the middle of a street, close to several shops and a wrecked truck carrying metal pipes. "Where are we?"

"I…I dunno." Brock babbled.

May grabbed Brock by the collar and screeched in his face. "YOU DON'T KNOW? We're in life and death trouble and you're LOST?"

"May, calm down!"

"Calm? How can I be calm? We're dead! We're beyond dead! We're _deader_ than dead! And our fearless leader has no idea where we even are!"

"May…!"

"'Oh we'll be safer in the sewers'! Safe! You call what just happened safe? 'Safer'! Safe! Sa-"

"MAY!" Ash snapped. "Will you be quiet?"

A wide eyed May whirled around to Ash. "Quiet? I wanna scream! I'm gonna scream! EEEEEEAAAAAAGHk-"

Ash clamped his hand around the hysterical girl's mouth. The boy quickly directed the group's attention to something very important.

"We're still not safe."

All too close to the group was yet another creature. This one had been feasting on the corpse of the truck's driver, violently tearing out chunks of the victim's flesh. But when May began shrieking, it had turned it's attention to the group, a malevolent smile on it's face. Once it saw that the children were staring at it, it stood up and gurgled with laughter.

This huge monstrosity had a vaguely humanoid form, with grotesque muscles and 'arms' that had swollen into colossal clubs. Where it's head should've been was a smaller human chest, attached by the waist with haphazard stitching. The upper half had smaller muscles and actual hands with sharp fingers. The head on top of the upper chest had no eyes, just bloated lips filled with sharp teeth. The entire monster was covered in cuts, burns and bandages. It lumbered towards the group on swollen feet, laughing.

"Dead, dead, dead." May babbled. It didn't look like she'd be wrong.


	18. Chapter 17

Pikachu had had it. He was supposed to defend his friends from the dangers of this insane town. And twice now he had fled. First from the overwhelming creatures at the amusement park, and again from the sludge creature in the sewer. It was considered a dishonor for a Pokemon to flee from a fight, especially when his or her trainer was threatened. Well, he wasn't going to run _this_ time! "Pika-CHUUUU!"

A powerful Thunderbolt attack blasted the fourarmed monstrosity. The creature roared in surprise as the lightning bolt coursed through it's body. The group blinked as the monster twitched violently due to the electricity. Pikachu snarled a threat about what would happen if he came closer.

Unfortunately, the monster recovered. With a roar of rage, it swung one of it's clublike lower arms towards the yellow mouse. Pikachu would've been crushed by the bludgeon if he had been a second slower. The electric Pokemon counterattacked with a stronger Thunderbolt, causing the huge creature to spasm and buckle. It got back up, angrier than ever.

Ash had snapped out of his shock because of the battle, and now he was in full Trainer mode. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Another lightning bolt blasted into the monster before it could attack again. The grotesque creature screamed and flung another of the huge clubs at Ash's Pokemon. Pikachu dodged again, but just barely.

Not sure what else to do, Ash gave the only command he could think of. "Iron Tail!"

Pikachu obeyed, charging at the creature with a glowing tail. Pikachu leaped at the monster's face and whirled around so that the Iron Tail smashed right into the creature's face. The creature staggered as if it had been hit with a sledgehammer.

Unfortunately, one of the monster's actual hands somehow managed to grab the mouse. Pikachu squeaked in surprise as the creature's grotesque mouth let out a bellow of rage right in his face. The other hand grabbed him and Pikachu gasped as the creature began to crush him, pushing all the air out of his lungs.

Ash realized how useless he was being, just standing there and yelling while his friend was being hurt by the fourarmed freak. In that moment, Ash decided to do something. The truck nearby was carrying several metal pipes, likely plumbing supplies. The larger pipes were bound together by string, but Ash found a smaller one that wasn't tied up. Without thinking, he snatched it and charged at the monster's back.

"ASH? What are you doing?"

Brock's question was quickly answered when Ash smashed the pipe into the monsters back. The pipe bent on impact with the monster's tough skin, but the creature clearly felt it, yelping in surprise. The monstrosity whirled around and Ash was knocked aside by one of the clubs. The boy was thrown into the door of an antique store, splintering the wooden entrance.

"ASH!"

Ash had distracted the monster long enough for Pikachu to get his breath back. Before the creature could turn it's attention back to it's captive, Pikachu had let another Thunderbolt loose. The creature screamed as it's tiny prey began to burn it's hands with the electric energy. The fourarmed monster had to drop it's prey because of the sheer pain.

Pikachu fell to the ground with a thud and tried to run away from the enraged monstrosity. However, the creature's attack had seriously hurt him, and he could only stagger away a few feet before collapsing in exhaustion. The creature recovered quickly, and turned it's attention back to the electric mouse. It was furious now, and was ready to punish this aggravating little creature for good. With heavy footsteps, the murderous monster slowly stormed towards the exhausted Pikachu. It neither noticed nor cared that it was right beside the truck's stock of heavy metal pipes.

Suddenly, Max came out of seemingly nowhere and snatched Pikachu up in his arms. The monster growled in confusion as the boy started running. "NOW!"

Thkcik!

With one swipe of a tiny knife, Misty severed the cord that held the huge pipes together. The monster heard a loud clanging right beside him and turned to see several huge metal objects rolling right towards him. It didn't have time to run…the first pipe fell off the truck and smashed it in the back, bringing the monster to it's knees. Before it could get up again, a multitude of the huge pipes had buried it in a clanging avalanche.

Misty got up off the truck's roof and joined May, Brock, and Max, who was carrying Pikachu. They gave a quick glance at the huge pile of pipes. One of the creature's hands had managed to get out from between two of the huge objects. It grasped weakly at nothing, and then fell down limply in defeat.

The group whooped with relief and then turned their attention right back to Ash. Pikachu hopped out of Max's arms and limped towards the broken door of the antique store. Ash was lying there, moaning himself back to consciousness. Misty ran to his side and got him back up to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, sure." Ash sighed. "You guys alright?"

"We're fine. Pikachu's a little battered though. I got some potions…"

Just then the group heard a noise inside the antique store. Ash and Misty whirled around. The splintered wood door revealed a dark shop with something moving in the back. Ash and Misty tensed up, readying themselves for another fight. Whatever was in the shop was creeping closer and closer to them. Ash gulped and raised the bent metal pipe, while Misty brandished the knife she had gotten from the ghoul children. Pikachu began to spark it's cheeks, daring the intruder to come closer. Two pairs of feet could be heard coming up to them slowly…

Just then Brock shone his flashlight into the store. Jessie and James gasped with surprise as the light temporarily blinded them, making them drop the pots they had mistaken for weapons. In the back, Meowth groaned.

Ash, Brock, Misty and Max all let out sighs of exasperation. "_You!_"

Team Rocket blinked and made out the figures staring at them in the doorway. "The twerps? Unbelievable."

"They sounded like monsters from the back room!"

"Prepare for tr-"

"We're ALREADY in trouble! Big trouble!"

"I know that!"

"This ain't the time fer…"

Before the argument could continue any further, May had burst into the shop and wrapped her arms around a very surprised James. The hysterical girl babbled with a strange relief. "Finally! Actual People! Thank goodness, thank goodness. Someone else who's ok! Thank goodness. Finally, somebody normal, somebody we know! Yayyy…"

Jessie and Ash blinked at the spectacle, then turned to each other. They both shook their heads.

* * *

After May had calmed down enough and the doorway had been barricaded, the group of seven people and two Pokémon sat down together to discuss their situation. They felt it was safe to huddle close to the back of the antique shop, away from the window. Apparently, after the incident with the faulty sleeping gas, Team Rocket had tried to run back to their temporary hideout. On the way there, they passed by Dakos' building.

"He was acting nuts."

"Really nuts. It was like he was drunk. Hopping around, singing some showtune. I think it was the Kalville anthem."

"Like a crazy kid playing wit' his toys. Only dose toys were a lot bigger."

In the middle of his song-and-dance, Dakos had been interrupted by the appearance of…something. Based on the description, Ash and co. guessed it was the fourarmed monster from the street.

"Dakos wasn't scared at first, I don't think."

"He yelled at it to do somethin'."

"Kinda like the boss yells at us."

"Whatever he wanted it to do, it didn't do it. It just bellowed and tried to flatten him. That's when he got scared."

"He screamed like a girl. Ran back into his building, like it was the only safe place in the world."

When Dakos had retreated back into his building, the creature had tried to follow.

"Funny thing…I would've thought that thing could've broken down the door, but for some reason it couldn't get into the building."

"Just kept pounding and yelling and running into the door, but the door wouldn't give."

"Then it saw us."

"How? That thing didn't have any eyes."

"It _noticed_ us. And…well, fill in the blanks."

"Thanks for takin' care of that thing, kids. If it hadn't got distracted by that truck, it would've easily found us in here."

"Don't worry about it."

"Ow about you? How'd you get here?"

Ash, May and Brock took turns relating their story. The killed trainer, Satos, Pyramid Head on the road, being forced to go back, the ghouls at the amusement park, the creature in the sewers, the battle on the streets, and now here they were.

"Dat's harsh." Meowth remarked when Satos' kidnapping came up.

"You have no idea." Ash muttered sullenly, walking away from the group.

"Wanna bet?" Jessie remarked. "I lost my mother several years ago, and I have no idea where she is, either."

"I KNOW where my dad is!" A frustration that had been bubbling up in Ash for a long time suddenly boiled over. "He's here…in this…this town somewhere! I just…" Ash leaned on a shelf holding a scented tea set, trying to figure things out.

Sadly, things could be figured out fairly quickly, now that he had the time to think. He didn't know where Satos was at all. This was a huge town. And he couldn't search it without him or his friends being threatened by those monsters running loose. Was his father worth endangering everyone else? But he couldn't just…leave him, could he? Like Satos had left…No! He couldn't think like that…shouldn't…but what was he supposed to do? Cower in this place like a coward because he couldn't think of anywhere else to go? Where else was there? There was Markus' house, sure, but if Satos wasn't there, what then? What…where…how…

"GAAAAH!" Ash slammed his fists into the shelf, jarring it from it's position on the wall. Immediately something came up that made him forget about his frustration for a moment.

"What is that _smell_?"

"Dead rats, I think."

"It's disgusting!"

"I think my socks are curling around my ankles."

"Move it back, Ash!"

_Whoops._ Ash grabbed the side of the shelf, planning to cover up the smell. But then he saw something that quickly caught his attention.

"Ash, what are you looking at?"

"There's a tunnel back here."

"A what?"

Ash pushed the shelf further to the side. Sure enough, the stench was emanating from a huge hole in the wall. It was too big to be a rathole or even a mistake in the planning. This hole was deliberately made with the building, a tunnel that grown men could walk through with relative ease. The walls were stone and the floor was a metal grating, rusty and red.

"Probably leads to the sewers."

"We were _in_ the sewers. They didn't smell like _that_."

"Then what is that stink?"

"I don't think I wanna know."

"Well, I wanna have a look in there."

"What? Ash…"

"Well, I don't want to just twiddle my thumbs here. Besides, how long do you think it'll be before those things outside look in the shop?" This was the first thing resembling a lead Ash had found, and he wanted to follow it.

"But that smell…"

"It might actually be a smart idea to find a new hidin' place."

"Better that any idea I've got."

"But…"

"Hold on…" James began rummaging through a knapsack he was carrying. "I think I might have some old gas masks in here."

Ash looked into the tunnel. It led into darkness. Something told him that there was something back there. Something that may answer some questions he was stuck with. About this town. About the monsters. About Alyx. About his father. Something also told him he wouldn't like the answers.

But he wanted answers. And one way or another, he would find them.


	19. Chapter 18

As the group walked through the iron corridors of the hidden passageway, they whispered among themselves in an attempt to keep them from panicking. There was the fear that there was something lurking at the end of the tunnel that they didn't want to hear their approach. But absolute silence would've been even worse. And so they tensely conversed in quiet tones.

"'Four-star hotels and equally prestigious restaurants.'" Misty muttered. "'We cordially invite to our fair city of Kalville, to participate in our annual competition where you will face off against trainers of your skill level.' And now look where we are."

"I never got to enjoy that restaurant." James sighed from under his gas mask.

"Don't tell me your hungry now!"

"Well, my stomach's hungry. I don't think I can eat anything now, but…"

"How can you think of food at a time like this?"

"Well, we gotta think of food sometime…we'll be hungry when we get out of this place, right?"

"This place?" Ash questioned from the front of the party. "You mean Kalville or this shop?"

"Either's good fer me." Meowth had to hold his hands to his face.

"We've got some hamburgers and water from the amusement park."

"That's a ripoff." James babbled. "Cheap meat, not even meat. I say, after we see what's in this tunnel, we sneak out, find one of those four-star restaurants and get our strength back in luxury!"

"Are you _serious_?"

"Easy, May. At this point, any plan is a good plan."

Ash shook his head and chuckled gingerly. Now that Team Rocket was in tow, things strangely seemed a little more comfortable. Part of it was strength in numbers. Another part…well, it was like their presence reassured him that this place hadn't been totally destroyed. If those three could've survived this town going to hell, then others could. Like Satos. And it was surprisingly refreshing to be thinking and arguing about petty things like food.

"How far in are we?"

"Pretty far…this tunnel goes on for a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Hold on…I think I see the end."

Sure enough, the flashlight beams hit a red wall in the distance. The group kept walking and noticed that the walls of the tunnel were falling away…they were entering a larger room. The floor squished under their footsteps, and dripping sounds echoed in the darkness. The flashlights of the group showed a table…no, an improvised hospital gurney with a ragged shawl draped over it. There was red everywhere. The walls were ragged and burnt, as if torn apart by an angry fire.

Ash turned his flashlight to one side and saw Pyramid Head.

"GAAAAAAH!" Ash shrieked, quickly brandishing the bent metal pipe he had improvised as a weapon. The boy smashed it into Pyramid Head's helmet, ripping out a hole. Pyramid Head didn't react at all. It took Ash a minute to register that this Pyramid Head was smaller, immobile, and flat. "A painting." Ash groaned, removing the pipe from the wrecked portrait.

The painting had Pyramid Head holding his spear, standing in front of several people in cages. A spear was sticking up out of a dead man just outside the frame. The title at the bottom of the picture read _'The Remains of Judgment'_. Ash wondered if it was referred to the man in the helmet or what he had done.

Max, May and Jessie turned towards the picture. Ash noticed them staring at it. "That…that's Pyramid Head, the guy who tried to kill me and Dakos. The-the maniac from the butcher shop. The one who… kidnapped …my father."

"_That's_ him?"

"Yup." Misty confirmed. "Why on earth would anyone _paint_ this guy?"

Brock backed away from the picture and felt something prick him. The boy whirled around and flashed his light into it. Barbed wire, stretched taunt. What was that doing here? It was covered in something red. Brock recognized it from the butcher shop. Blood.

May turned around from the painting and found herself face-to-face with a very dead man. "EEEEE_AAAAAAAAAGH_!"

Everyone turned their lights to what May was staring at and gasped. The corpse was suspended in the air by barbed wire, which was still dripping blood even though the man had stopped bleeding long ago. The flesh had been either burned or rotted away, and the man's clothes were all but destroyed. The bladed wire was around his fists, neck and legs, and his mouth was hanging open in a scream.

The eye twitched and fell to the floor with a splurt. An inquisitive Rattata peeked out of the corpse's eyehole and chattered at the wide-eyed intruders. The rat scuttled out of the skull and ran into the shadows. This was no painting.

"I just lost my appetite." James airily mumbled. Jessie had to remove her gas mask to retch in a convenient hole in the floor. Max and Brock joined her.

Ash's flashlight roved around further and to his horror, there wasn't only one corpse in the room. There were six. All of them were tied up and suspended by a web of barbed wire, strung around the room like hang-up skeletons in a cheap Halloween funhouse. Ash originally assumed there were seven corpses, but quickly realized that one of them had been ripped in half.

"My God…"

"I gotta go, I gotta go…" James and Meowth both turned from the grisly scene and started running back down the tunnel.

"Don't go too far, we gotta stay together!" Brock called back.

Max just stared numbly at the carnage, clutching his big sister like a reassuring doll. Jessie turned to Ash. "This was your idea to come back here, are you satisfied?"

"Yeah…yeah, let's…" Ash stopped. His flashlight had fallen on another painting, this one in the centre of the opposite wall.

It was a woman holding a child. The woman had long black hair and a halo above her head. The eyes seemed…familiar to Ash. As if he had seen her before…

"Ash?" Misty tapped him on the shoulder. "Ash, are you…"

Ash turned around to face Misty. "I'm alright. Let's get out of here, there's nothing…" Ash trailed off, staring at something behind his friend. Something that hadn't been there when he last looked.

"Ash?"

Ash nudged Misty to turn around. When the girl looked, there was something on the hospital gurney. It looked like a sleeping child, but it wasn't moving at all. It was covered with a thick shroud, decorated with strange designs.

"What…?" Jessie and May saw it too. Suddenly they realized the room was lit by candles, flickering like spirits trying to light the way home. The wide-eyed group looked around the room, which had somehow radically changed in a minute. The corpses and barbed wire were gone, and the room was clean. The walls were intact, and there was no blood at all.

"What is going on? What's happening?"

"I don't…"

"Someone's coming!"

The group whirled around and saw several hooded figures walking slowly into the room. Their faces were hidden, and their hands were folded in a silent prayer. Max hid behind May, praying that they were friendly. Brock gulped and approached the first one.

"Um, excuse me, can you tell us what's…"

The man walked right through Brock.

The group blinked at the ghosts that were walking through them, surrounding the hospital gurney. The leader began speaking, in a voice that seemed distant.

_"My brothers, the time has come for the Empress to walk once again."_

"What?" Jessie turned to Ash and the others, a bewildered and slightly insulted look on her face. "What is going on? Why are they ignoring us?"

"They're not ignoring us…" Ash mused. "We're not there."

"_WHAT?_" Jessie snapped.

_"It has been long years since Silent Hill has fallen and the empress gone, but our leader is now in need of her power. He will bring order to this world once again."_

"This happened while I was in Cameron. These 'time flowers' would create realistic visions of past events. But I don't see any flowers…"

"Maybe they're just ghosts."

"Ghosts. Just when this town couldn't get any stranger." Max muttered.

Suddenly one of the robes produced a very scared Pichu. The tiny mouse looked around in fright as a bowl was placed beside it. The leader spoke again, stroking the Pokémon's head as if trying to reassure it.

_"Your innocent sacrifice shall be her rebirth."_

"Sacrifice?" May blinked. Something was wrong here…

The leader abruptly whipped out an ornate knife. Before the Pichu could scream, run or attack, the leader had killed it with a single swipe. Blood splattered into the bowl like a waterfall as the Pokémon gurgled. In another time, a very horrified group of children shook their heads in disbelief.

"Oh…"

"My…"

"God…"

The leader then took out a small pyramid, one that Ash recognized immediately. It was the demon cage Alyx had given him. Did he still have that? The pyramid was placed on top of the body on the hospital gurney. It flickered oddly with an inner light.

The cultists began to chant. The group couldn't identify the language, and they felt they didn't want to know what they were saying anyway. A few words stuck out, however.

_"Empress…"_

"Silent Hill…"

"God…"

"Alessa."

The cultists suddenly paused, looking around in surprise. The group quickly figured out why they were surprised. The walls were suddenly deteriorating, rotting and burning at the same time. An invisible fire tore at the walls, floor and ceiling, destroying the entire room. Brock realized that all this was happening during the cultist's ceremony, and they were being given a glimpse. But why?

_"She's Here! Be ready!"_

The unmistakable sound of a little girl shrieking in fury and pain filled the room. A red light appeared, encompassing everything. The cult leader seemed to be expecting this, and grabbed the pyramid, practically shoving it into the small figure's chest. His chants became louder, more excited, more determined. _"Rise, ALESSA GILLESPIE!"_

The red light flowed into the figure on the gurney. Whatever happened, it made the room quake and forced the cultists to the floor. A blinding light emanated from the gurney, forcing Ash, May, Jessie, Misty, Brock, Max and Pikachu to cover their eyes. The girl shrieked again, angrier than ever.

When Ash opened his eyes again, the figure on the gurney was sitting upright. He quickly nudged the others to uncover their eyes and look at this new development. The shroud had fallen off, and the group could see the figure was a child wearing a blue dress. Her face was covered with an additional shroud, almost like a paper-bag mask. The cultists seemed to be gazing upon the figure reverently.

The figure moved slowly, as if she hadn't moved in a long time and was trying to get used to the idea again. The child moved her hands in the air, as if testing her fingers. Slowly her hands came up to her face. When they touched the shroud, they suddenly clenched the fabric like vicegrips. The shroud was swiftly ripped off the figure's face.

The children gasped. This was a face they knew. The strange girl they had met in Kalville. The one who was eerily identical to Ash. The girl who had given them the pyramid, who was there was Ash had gotten his scar. Ash touched his mark numbly. In all the confusion, he had forgotten about it.

Alyx.

And she was furious. Her face was a mark of sheer fury and hatred. She glared ferociously at the cultist's leader, even as he prostrated himself before her. _"Alessa, mother and daughter of God. Your power is needed."_

_"My power?"_ she hissed, a bone-chilling undertone to her voice. She glanced down at the dead Pichu. _"You want my power?"_ A hideous metallic noise suddenly came from all around. _"Here it is."_

Before anyone could react, barbed wire erupted out of everywhere at once. The bladed wire swiftly whipped around the cultists like snakes, carrying them above the floor screaming. The group of Pokémon Trainers cowered and screamed in horror, forgetting for a second that this was only a replay of what had happened in the past. May swiftly covered her little brother's eyes, begging him not to look at the carnage.

Ash kept watching Alyx…no. Alessa. That was her name. The girl simply hopped off the gurney and stared up at the terrified cultists with a cold look on her face. Then she turned her attention to the leader, who was still on the floor staring at her.

_"All I wanted was to rest. And you've woken me up…for what?"_ she snarled.

Above them, the cultists were being stabbed, slashed and torn apart by thrashing barbed wire. The blood began to rain on the room's floor. Ash had no doubt that Alessa was controlling the attack, using an incredibly powerful telekinetic ability. The red splattered all over Alessa's dress, but she didn't seem to notice or care. She instead kept glowering at the covering leader.

Alessa turned to look at the slain Pichu. Her expression became disgusted, and she touched the dagger gingerly. A thread of barbed wire wrapped itself around the leader's throat, legs and arms. The leader screamed just as the wire around his throat tightened. Blood spurted out of the cut like a waterfall. Alessa didn't even bother to turn around to see the man's death.

The screams abruptly stopped. The group gradually looked up to see Alessa fingering with the dagger for a moment. All the cultists were dead, suspended by the wire. A blood-splattered Alyx/Alessa was calmly staring at the blade, seemingly oblivious to the horror she had wreaked on the people who had 'resurrected' her.

Suddenly, she sliced the blade across her own wrist.

Blood squirted out for only a second, but the cut healed in a second. She seemed disappointed, letting out a slight sigh. Apparently, she was not going to die. She didn't seem to like the idea. With a resigning look on her face, she shrugged and walked out, casually pushing the leader's corpse aside. _"Well…might as well have a look around."_

The vision of the past stopped there, and the frightened group stared into space as the room returned to it's present rusty, dark, horrific state. The corpses became skeletons again, and it was clear the room hadn't been touched for a long time since that incident.

Misty turned to Ash with horrified eyes. "That…did you see…"

"Yeah, I saw it." Ash growled. "It's Alyx."

"Y-y-you mean Alessa." Max babbled.

"Alyx, Alessa, whatever! That psychopath's involved in all this, I know it!" Ash suddenly remembered something, and quickly dug into his backpack. He pulled out the rusty pyramid 'Alyx' had given him. _So much for luck_. Ash scowled at the pyramid before chucking it away. The object clattered onto the floor far from him. "'The empress'. She has her hand in all this, I know it! But where…"

"G-G-G-G-GUYS!" James and Meowth suddenly came running into the room, terrified looks on their faces. Apparently what they just saw was scarier than the room full of corpses. "We got a problem!"

"No kidding. We just found out that creepy girl from the restaurant is in charge of this nightmare." Jessie remarked.

"No…I mean we got a big problem!"

"A new problem! A big new problem!"

"What?"

James and Meowth both turned towards the painting on the wall, _The Remains of Judgment_. Meowth shakily pointed at Pyramid Head.

"Dat guy."


	20. Chapter 19

Over the desperate protests of everybody, Ash practically ran over James and Meowth as he bolted back down the dark tunnel. Pyramid Head, his father's kidnapper, here? He had to see for himself. The boy ran down the darkened hallway, overcome with a strange mix of anger and fear.

The adrenaline pushed him to the entrance of the tunnel. He saw a black rectangle framed by a faint light in the distance...James and Meowth had had the presence of mind to replace the shelf that covered the tunnel. Ash seriously doubted that it would do much good. The lad ran right into the wooden shelf, stopping himself just in time with his hands. As cautiously as he could manage, Ash quickly peered through a crack in the shelf at what was behind. He saw him.

Suddenly, two pairs of hands grabbed him and swiftly dragged him right back to the room. He would've protested, but Brock's hand covered his mouth. Once they were back in the corpse-filled room, Misty and Brock released him.

Misty, a concerned rage in her expression, yelled at the impulsive Ash. "Are you insane? You can't fight that monster! If he finds us here-"

"He knows we're here." Ash simply replied.

"...what?" May squeaked.

"He was behind...in front of...the shelf. Just standing there, waiting." Ash numbly explained. His head sunk as he relayed the news.

The group fell silent. The news, and the implication it presented, paralyzed them. Their only exit was blocked by a powerful killer. They were trapped.

Jessie grabbed Ash by the collar and brought him up to her furious face. "THIS WAS _YOUR_ IDEA! YOU MADE US GO BACK HERE, AND NOW WE'RE STUCK IN THIS HELLHOLE! YOU LITTLE..." Jessie slammed her palm into Ash's face. The boy didn't do a thing to stop her, too ashamed to retaliate. Jessie snarled again, and was about to hit the boy again when James stopped her.

"Hold on Jess, this isn't the time for a fight. We gotta figure out how to get out of here!" Jessie glowered at James for a moment, and then saw his point. Her hand went down reluctantly.

Everyone bowed their heads in desperate thought. What to do? How to do it? They needed to get out, but with Pyramid Head in the way, they couldn't just walk out the way they came in. Could they? The group steadily grew more worried as every worthless suggestion was shot down.

"Couldn't we use our Pokémon?"

"In case you haven't noticed James, we can't open our Pokeballs."

"All we got is Pikachu and Meowth."

"And does Meowth really count? I mean, I never seen him attack."

"HEY! You wanna see my Fury Swipes, twerp? I can attack just fine!"

"Meowth, not now!"

"Doesn't matter. That killer doesn't slow down because of Pokémon attacks. My Vulpix hit him with a flamethrower and he didn't seem to notice."

"Is he really that strong?"

"You have no idea."

"Hey, how 'bout this? We wait until he has to use the bathroom or somethin', and then just sneak out."

"He doesn't strike me as the type who needs to use the washroom."

"Oh, great. Thanks for mentioning the washroom."

"Max, are you serious?"

"Hey, I'm only human!"

"Unlike that guy outside the door."

"We outnumber that creep seven to one...can't we just rush him?"

"We probably could..."

"You're kidding. He'd cut us all in two with a swipe of that knife."

"Have you seen that knife?"

"Yeah. I never wanna see it again."

"Well...The only thing I can think of is have someone distract him and the rest of us sneak out."

"Great idea! Now all we need is someone to volunteer to go get himself killed."

James glanced at the place where Ash was sitting just a second ago. "I think someone just did."

* * *

Ash had had enough of the bickering and fruitless ideas. The boy stormed back down the metal hallway, clutching his metal pipe and running as fast as he could to create the momentum he needed. He focused on the black rectangle at the end of the hall with a fierce conviction. He was the one who got them all stuck in here. He had to be the one to do this. He had to do this...for his father as well as all his friends.

The back of the shelf came closer and closer in his view. The boy charged like a rhino towards the shadow and what was behind it, his eyes bloodshot with rage and determination. He ran faster, and the rectangle came closer. Pyramid Head was behind there, Ash could almost see him. He wasn't going to run away again.

Soon, he was close enough. With a yell of fury, Ash leaped up and forward. The boy slammed his side into the top of the black rectangle with a loud BANG! Landing on his feet, Ash looked up and saw the shelf leaning away from him, falling over onto whatever was on the other side. Ash pumped his fist in celebration. Yes!

It was premature. The shelf landed on something and split in half. Ash saw the all-too familiar helmet of Pyramid Head splinter the wood on contact. The shelf, now in two pieces, fell to Pyramid Head's sides. Both halves hit the ground with a weak thud. The murderer was still standing, not affected in the least by the falling shelf. The metal helmet looked down at Ash, apparently unamused. Stuck for what to do next, for a minute the boy just stared up at the monolithic murderer. Neither of them moved for a moment.

Ash had forgotten how tall Pyramid Head actually was.

Despite his hatred and fear of Pyramid Head, Ash had to admit he was in awe of the powerful figure. Strong muscles, bloodstained robe, angular helmet, colossal knife...nothing Ash had ever seen had been so imposing, and he had seen a lot of things. Maybe it was just because Ash knew what this butcher was capable of doing. Killing someone with a single swipe of that knife, leaping onto a moving car and forcing it to crash, kidnapping Satos and…

The thought of his father made Ash snap out of his stunned trance. With a scream of rage, disregarding all common sense, Ash charged at Pyramid Head, swiping at him with his metal pipe. The 'weapon' hit the huge man in the chest, but it didn't seem to affect him in the least. Ash nearly thought he was just hitting a statue, but the helmet slightly shifted, moving from side to side. Ash could almost hear a soft laugh, and that just made him angrier. This monster had nearly killed him and his friends, then kidnapped his long-lost father, forcing them to go back to this nightmare of a town…not to mention stole Ash's hat. A furious Pokemon Trainer drew his metal pipe back and hit Pyramid Head in the chest again.

He instantly regretted it. In the blink of an eye, the butcher's bloody hand had grabbed Ash by the wrist. The fingers closed firmly around the hapless boy's hand, preventing him from letting go of the metal pipe. Ash gasped in panic as Pyramid Head held him in a vicegrip, refusing to release the boy or the pipe from his grasp.

Ash would've guessed Pyramid Head would slice him in half with his knife, skewer him with the spear, or just crush his hand like a vice. But the butcher didn't even lift him off the ground…instead, he just stood there, clutching the boy's hand and pipe firmly but not enough to crush. It was like he was waiting for something. What?

"_ASH_?"

Ash whirled around to see the rest of the group, staring in horror at Pyramid Head. They had been running towards the entrance to help their friend, but the sight of Ash in the butcher's clutches had stopped them in their tracks. For all they knew, this was a hostage situation…they were terrified that getting any closer would result in Ash getting hurt, or worse. They didn't know what to do, and neither did Ash. Nobody moved.

Well, almost nobody. Rather than paralyze Pikachu, the sight of Ash being held captive enraged the Pokemon and sprung it into action. It couldn't fire a thunderbolt without harming Ash, so it came up with a different idea. Before anyone could stop him, the Pokemon roared and started running towards it's master and the murderer holding him. The mouse's tail began to glow with a powerful energy…Iron Tail.

Ash saw his friend's rapid approach and felt hope…but then he felt Pyramid Head forcing his arm back. The huge figure shifted the hand with the metal pipe to a very specific position.

Pikachu came closer and closer, a righteous rage in it's eyes.

The group watched with worried eyes.

Ash gulped.

Pyramid Head waited.

With a yell of fury, Pikachu leapt towards it's master's tormentor. "PIIIII-KAAAAAAAAA!" It was in the process of whirling around so that the Iron Tail would hit Pyramid Head right in the chest…

…when it was suddenly smacked aside with a metal pipe. Pikachu never saw it coming. The poor mouse tumbled to the tunnel floor with a surprised whimper, a painful bruise on it's side. The group all gasped.

"No!" Ash yelled aloud. Then he registered something. Pyramid Head had twisted his arm hard, almost snapping it off. But it wasn't an attempt to break it…it had been to move Ash's arm and hand in a specific direction, fast. And then the boy realized that he was still holding the metal pipe. In the hand that Pyramid Head was clutching. The metal pipe that hit his friend.

Ash's face warped into a terrifying visage of absolute rage as it dawned on him what had happened. In a show of utmost cruelty, Pyramid Head hadn't just hurt Pikachu…he had forced Ash to hurt his best friend himself.

"You…monster…" Ash snarled in absolute fury. Without thinking, Ash grabbed one of the thicker splinters from the broken shelf with his free hand. The one he picked had a very sharp point. Perfect.

In the blink of an eye, Ash whirled about and drove the splinter right into Pyramid Head's arm. The point pierced the murderer's hide like a dagger, forcing Pyramid Head to release Ash. The huge butcher groaned in annoyance as it tore out the splinter, causing a few drops of blood to fall. The boy swiftly dropped the pipe that had hurt his friend, and with a roar of unbridled rage he grabbed another sharp-pointed splinter and drew it back, ready to impale Pyramid Head in the chest. Unfortunately, a kick from the huge helmeted man made Ash fly back to his friends in the tunnel.

Misty and Brock got him back up to his feet in a second, but Ash brushed them off, still glaring ferociously at Pyramid Head. No words could describe the hatred Ash felt right then and there. This…_monster_ wasn't content with taking away what the person he had searched for for so long. It had to hurt his best friend, using him as puppet! This butcher was worse than any enemy Ash had ever faced – brutal, cruel, sadistic, murderous _freak_! He…he…

Ash's train of thought was stopped by a skull-headed child's random appearance over Pyramid Head's shoulder. The sight of the tiny creature clutching the huge killer's back was so ridiculous Ash nearly laughed. Suddenly, the creature screamed and drove it's knife into Pyramid Head's shoulder. The huge man winced and knocked the tiny thing away. Another knife-wielding creature replaced it. And another.

The group blinked. Suddenly Pyramid Head was crawling with those things, their knives randomly stabbing his flesh. The man in the helmet was too dignified to dance around swatting them away, but as the legion ganged up on him he became more agitated, forcing them off with his bare hands.

Suddenly the shop window was smashed, and two of the cat monsters with sickles in their heads pounced onto Pyramid Head. One of them was sliced in half with an incredibly fast action of the knife, falling onto the floor in two bloodless pieces. The other cat-creature latched onto the butcher's huge arm, fangs digging into the murderer's muscle. Pyramid Head threw it aside with ease, but it got back up and retaliated.

James suddenly had a brainstorm. "He's distracted, _Let's go!_" Nobody argued.

It was anything but the best situation for escape. The small knife wielding creatures were scampering all over the floor, pricking their daggers at whatever came within reach. The skull-headed cats leaping through the broken window made things even more dangerous. And at the centre of it all was Pyramid Head, trying to beat of his attackers and swinging his huge knife around. But the group was desperate to get out of the antique store they were willing to risk it.

Brock took the lead, running through what looked like the clearest path. Misty and May both grabbed Ash to prevent him from trying to attack Pyramid Head again. Ash swiftly picked up a moaning Pikachu from the floor. Jessie, James, Meowth and Max brought up the rear, running as quickly as they could.

It was not smooth going. Everybody had to practically dance on the run to avoid the tiny monsters jabbing knives. Without eyes, they seemed content to swipe at whatever they heard nearby. One of the emaciated cats was thrown in their path by Pyramid head, still alive and furious. Brock had to grab a vase and throw it at the monster's head to keep it from pouncing on him. Suddenly James yelled "DUCK!" and everyone did, just in time to see the huge rusty knife go over their heads. Another cat monster was sliced in half. There was no blood, but the group wasn't in the mood to pay attention to details like that. One the knife-wielders got too close to Jessie, and she promptly stomped on it's skull with her foot.

And that was in the seconds they were still in the antique stop.

Once they got outside, a terrifying sight met their eyes. An army of the knife-wielders and the cat monsters were congregating onto the store, their misshapen forms lumbering out of the fog. A few of the fourarmed creatures also appeared, as well as a new monstrosity...an eyeless, bloated pink thing with a lamprey-like mouth and a long, fleshy tongue dangling lazily down it's chest.

Outnumbered a dozen to one, the group decided to make a run for it.

Down the street was a building that had a brilliant light coming from it, and it was decided that this was where the group will go. Brock pointing the way, the group dashed down the sidewalk like deer being hunted by wolves.

Some of the creatures took notice of the fleeing people. A cat monster – Ash got the ridiculous idea that this was the same one from the first time the fog had fallen – sneered and began chasing them. Jessie looked back at a horrific whooping hound closing in on them.

_SnACKTP!_

The creature promptly got a nasty cut on it's face. In the spur of the moment, Jessie had grabbed a piece of the barbed wire from the hidden room. She now wielded it like a whip. Not being experienced with whips, she could really only snap it in a direction and hope it connected with an enemy. The snarl from the angry creature told Jessie this attack had hit.

Suddenly May screamed. Two of the pink creature's tongues had suddenly wrapped around her, and the girl was starting to get dragged to the waiting teeth. Misty acted then, thrusting her knife into one of the disgusting things. The shrieking monster retracted it's tongue, shrieking with anger and pain. The other tongue was forced to release May with a strong kick by Max.

Jessie was distracted long enough for the cat creature to come even closer, and when the woman turned around, the monster was leaping onto her with teeth and claws ready. An instinctive punch to the face disorientated the creature enough for Jessie to grab it by the legs and throw it towards the pink monsters. The cat monster collided with the bloated creatures, angering them very much. Before the cat monster could get back onto it's feet, two tongues had wrapped around it, pulling it in two different directions. The skull-headed cat snarled at it's fleeing prey while struggling with it's hungry captors.

Everyone ran faster and faster towards the building, but suddenly found their way blocked by another of the fourarmed monsters. It was if it had leapt down from the roof. The group skidded to a halt as the huge monster readied it's bludgeons for another attack.

Fortunately, Pikachu had recovered enough by then. As soon as it saw the creature, it let out the most powerful thunderbolt it could possibly make. The creature's huge muscles spasmed helplessly and electric burns appeared all over it's body. The monster teetered unsteadily after Pikachu stopped the attack out of exhaustion. Jessie flung the 'whip' at the monster's feet, and by luck or hidden skill, the huge thing toppled with a loud crash.

The group didn't waste any more time. The seven trainers bolted through the thankfully unlocked door of the building, slamming it shut behind them with a satisfying BANG. Ash and Brock swiftly grabbed a table and a few chairs, using them to barricade the door. James and Jessie chipped in too, applying a wooden plank to the doorway with a copious amount of nails.

Once they all felt the door had been sealed enough, the group all sat down, gasping for breath and trying to calm themselves after that harrowing experience.

James looked up. Several covered tables with burning candles were scattered around the large room. One of the candles had tipped over and the tablecloth was burning. He guessed that was the light the group had been drawn to. The carpet was splattered with fine food in places, dropped by the parishioners in their rush to get out. Though why they wanted to leave this place was beyond James. Maybe they had just panicked with the fire...it looked like it had been burning for a while.

"Hey...this is the restaurant!"

Everyone looked up and saw James was right. Misty guessed this was the restaurant they had been in the first night they had come to town. There was the unmistakable scent of good food wafting from the kitchen. Meowth licked his lips eagerly. "Now let's go forward wit' da plan!"

Everyone looked at him oddly. Meowth blinked, bewildered by the stares. "Um...ya know, James' plan. Get some eats soon as we got out."

There was a moment of silence as that sunk in.

Then everyone, who hadn't been anything other than tense, scared and worried for the entire day, laughed loudly. _Yes, let's go forward with James' plan_, they all thought. _Let's eat_.

* * *

Outside, the fourarmed monster hadn't gotten up. It was still twitching due to electricity, but otherwise it wasn't moving. It's arms were hanging upwards like an overturned turtle. It just lay there on the street, not making any sound.

And then the dogs came. Pyramid Head's pack of mutilated pooches circled around the lying creature. The ones that had tongues licked the fallen fourarmed monster, and the ones that still had chops smacked them. They all had teeth, and soon they were tearing bloodless chunks out of the creature's flesh.

The skinless dog sniffed the air and detected a familiar scent. But the boy wasn't a priority right now. The empress, and their master, had told them that things were going according to plan...at the moment there was no need to hunt down the children. At the moment.

In the meantime, they feasted.


	21. Chapter 20

Ash and May quickly put out the flaming table before the fire spread. Jessie and James watched out the windows for any more creatures while Brock got one of the kitchen stoves going. The seconds were very tense, and the group expected Pyramid Head or one of the bigger monsters to come crashing into their current sanctuary at any moment. Fortunately, they didn't.

Once Brock had finished working with what he had found in the kitchen, most of the group gathered around for an impromptu lunch. Brock, Misty, Jessie, James and Meowth sat on the floor devouring the hot rolls and sirloin Brock had made. May and Max had left to use the restaurant's four-star facilities. They all wanted to make the most of their temporary relief.

Ash wasn't hungry, so he and Pikachu took Team Rocket's place at the window watching for any danger. He glanced back into the restaurant and noticed the back of a Banette doll on a table further away, slumped down like someone depressed. Some kid had left behind his toy. The boy sighed and looked back out into the thick fog. The sun was up, not that it made much difference. His hands stroke Pikachu's fur. His buddy was sleeping off that hit.

James swallowed a large piece of the delicious meat. "Mm-mmm! This is the best food I've had since…well, since I can remember!"

Brock smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"Not too sure…" Jessie mused, holding the sirloin in her hand. "It tastes a little funny to me…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean it tastes…"

James' eyes went wide when he noticed something. "Jessie, you're _bleeding!_"

Jessie gasped and looked at her hand. Sure enough, there was a deep cut in her palm, dripping blood onto her food. The barbed-wire whip must've made that cut.

Brock immediately produced bandages, but they were snatched out of his hand by James. James hurriedly wrapped the cloth around Jessie's hand, not caring how much he was using. In a second, Jessie's hand had more bandage around it than a standard broken arm, making it look like a big white boxing glove. Brock sighed and began to carefully trim the thick wad of cloth.

Misty chuckled very slightly, and then turned towards Ash, who was still staring blankly out the window. "Ash, c'mon, have something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." The boy replied, stroking Pikachu numbly.

"That's a surprise. You're always hungry."

"I'm not hungry."

"Ash…"

"I'm **not **hungry."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"No, something's wrong and you know it."

Ash didn't reply. He just kept stroking Pikachu.

"Ash, c'mon…"

"I'm fine."

"What happened to the chipper, talkative, hungry kid I traveled with?"

"I'm **fine.**"

"No. You're. Not. First you nearly pulverise a shelf. Then you go down a corridor that smells of corpses and don't even blink. Then you charge a 7-foot murderer whose blade is bigger than you are with nothing but a-"

"**I'M FINE!**" Ash bellowed with a furious expression, eyes warped into a vicious glare and teeth gritted hard. The noise woke Pikachu up. The entire group fell into a stunned silence. This was something nobody expected from Ash Ketchum.

In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Ash glanced down at Pikachu, who was staring at him with wide eyes. The boy groaned, and his head slumped down in shame.

"I'm going nuts, aren't I?"

The group looked at each other, looking for an answer. Eventually, James shrugged. "Yeah, kinda."

Ash groaned again, feeling worse than ever.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, with where we are now and what's happening…" James babbled for a moment before being interrupted.

"If it makes ya feel any better, you ain't the only one." Meowth remarked.

Just then they heard May's voice. "No Max, don't _flush_! They'll hear or the sewer thing will know where we are and we'll be in real trouble so DON'T!"

"Ummmmm, OK sis…"

Meowth chuckled. "Like I said."

Ash smiled ruefully. James promptly stood up. "I'll watch the window. You get something to eat, twerp. Alright?"

"Alright." Ash shrugged and swapped places with James. Ash sat down with Pikachu on his lap and scarfed several of the dinner rolls. He _was _hungry, after all. Seeing their friend eat like his old self brought a slight smile to everyone's face. Maybe there was a little more hope than they thought.

A nervous May and a puzzled Max joined the group shortly, and soon everyone had eaten something. Taking full advantage of the respite they were having from the creature's attacks, they all rested as best they could. There was a rotation of duty as one person took watch while the others made a wary attempt at sleeping.

Ash didn't sleep a wink, thinking about his father somewhere in this town. And how he would find him. One way or another. But…at what cost would it be? What would happen to everyone else? Was his father really worth all his friends?

After a few minutes Max looked to Ash. "So what's the plan?"

Ash gave the boy an incredulous look. "You're asking _me _for a plan? So far, all my _plans _have done nothing but get everybody hurt." He sighed, looking at Pikachu as he spoke.

James piped up. "Hey, you're with experts in plans gone wrong. It's not so ba…"

James quickly regretted opening his mouth as Ash shot him an unamused glare. Ash then sighed and turned to Brock. "Let's hear _your_ plan. What should we do?"

Brock thought for a moment, and then brought out his map. "Well…um…er…"

"Well?"

Brock glanced at the ribbons of bandages he had cut from Jessie's hand. "Um…the only thing I can…well, at the rate we're going, we're going to need more medical supplies."

"That's the only plan you can think of?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, go on then."

"Ok…we'll keep heading west, to the hospital. There might be some stuff we can use; supplies, ethers, bandages, medicine…even a vehicle Team Rocket can hotwire."

"I doubt it…While we were running for our lives, I noticed that the creatures were trashing all the cars. Everything left on the street has been destroyed."

"And truth be told, we're not that good at hotwiring."

"Whatever. We'll figure something out. And one other thing…" Brock directed Ash to a circled area on the map. "We'll be going right through Sudowoodu Oaks residential area."

Ash blinked.

"Markus' house. We'll be able to look and see if…"

"My father's there." Ash breathed. "He's gotta be. He's gotta be there."

May was quiet for a second, and then she posed a question that was very unsettling, but had to be asked.

"What…if…he isn't there?"

Ash winced, not wanting to face that possibility. But he knew he had to. "Then…then…I don't know. I don't…Well, let's go with Brock's plan for now. Yeah."

Ash turned around and saw something that nearly made him jump. The doll he had seen when they entered the restaurant had moved. The toy had turned around and was looking straight at him, the immobile face mysteriously warped into an angry glare. A finger pointed at Ash accusingly.

Ash gulped hard, having the distinct impression he was being threatened. "Let's not stick around here too long."

The seven people crept out of the restaurant into the foggy street. The first thing they saw was the fourarmed creature…or what was left of it. The dogs had reduced it to piles of ragged flesh, scattered around the road like wrapping paper after Christmas. Bones had been ripped apart, shards rolling into the gloom. It was a very fortunate thing that the dogs – if they could even be called dogs - weren't there now.

Ash blinked to make sure he wasn't overlooking something. "Weird…"

"Weird? Weird is a grown man planning to become a Pikachu, or a day-glo office building, or alphabet soup without the soup. This is not weird, this is horrific."

"No, it's not that…there's no blood."

"Oh, and dat's weird."

"No, he's right. There's no red stuff."

"Have any of you guys noticed that none of those things bleed?"

"No, not really. We were too scared to tell."

"But why don't they have any blood? All natural creatures have blood. It's simple biology."

"Well, these creatures aren't natural."

"I could've told you that."

"_Can we get moving pleeeeease?_"

Nobody argued with May. The slurping noise of a faraway monster convinced them to walk down the street, towards the residential area. _Very _quietly.

The residential area Ash prayed Satos was being held in. If his father wasn't there, he could be anywhere in the town and a search would be…too dangerous. May's question kept preying on his mind. What if Satos wasn't there? Where were Alessa and Pyramid Head keeping him?

Wherever he was, Ash would find him.

He hoped.

Eyes darting about everywhere, the large group crept through the foggy streets. Abandoned stores and shopfronts with broken windows and tattered awnings testified to the long-gone glory of Kalville. The entire place seemed drained of the color and life that had been there when they first arrived, leaving nothing but a grey corpse of a town. A grey corpse that wanted badly to be a ghost. The only color that stood out was red.

The group came to a sudden halt when two dog-like shadows appeared in the mist. It didn't look like the creatures had noticed them…they were too busy feasting on something on the ground. No-one made a noise. But the dogs still heard something…whatever it was, it compelled then to run into the mist. Away from the scared group, thankfully.

Assuming/hoping it was safe, the group kept walking up the street. They came across a grisly sight. A Psyduck, likely belonging to one of the fleeing trainers, had been killed in the street. Unlike the fourarmed creature, the Pokemon bled. The duck was lying in a puddle of dark red, ravaged. Misty held back tears at the poor duck's fate. The others did their best to avert their eyes from the gruesome scene. Jessie and May gagged.

Trying to keep a brave face, Ash pulled Misty away. "Let's keep going." He stated, plain and certain.

And they did keep going, eventually leaving the shopping district behind them. There was one more residential area to pass through before Sudowoodu Oaks. None of them caught the name of the area. The district was more open than the shopping district, with a wider road and lawns. The open space only seemed to make Kalville feel deader than before.

Ash didn't know what was worse, the murderous creatures roaming around town or…the dead silence and calm. The creatures had stopped screaming, and now there was nothing to hear but his own heartbeat. The place was calm, but everybody knew that at any time another monster could leap from the mist and kill them. They couldn't let down their guard. They'd been lucky so far. How long could luck last?

The minutes dragged on and on…Ash nearly caught himself wishing something would happen.

The group abruptly heard a sound behind one of the houses. In the silence, the noise of sibilant little creatures whispering and giggling could be heard very clearly from a distance.

"Daddy's coming."

"Daddy's _here._"

"Do you think he'll like it?"

"Daddy will like it."

"Let's go."

"Surprise him."

Max shivered. He recognized those voices from the Amusement Park: those swarming creatures with the skull heads and sharp knives. This wasn't good. "G-g-g-guys…"

**CRRASSSH!**

Another monster erupted from the garage of a nearby house. The group screamed and reared back. This one looked like a six-foot tall starved insect with sickly-green armor. Two huge scythes, each as big as one of the children, had been fused to it's tiny arms. A 'mouth' consisting of mangled mandibles hissed loudly as the scythes went clack-clack-clack on the pavement. The creature approached the group, it's huge blades coming closer and closer.

Worse, it wasn't alone. More monsters appeared throughout the district, closing in on the frightened group. Chuckling and snarling as they anticipated a fresh kill.

It looked like the group's luck had ended.


	22. Chapter 21

Everyone's first instinct was to turn around and run. But that idea was destroyed the second they looked behind them. The cat-thing had returned, the fresh scar on it's face making it look angrier than ever. It had brought it's pack as well, almost a dozen other monsters with sickles in their heads. They all crept up to the group, hissing like demons.

The group searched for an exit. The only one they saw was forward...the creatures with the scythes were still around the periphery of the streets, lurking on the yards and driveways of the houses. The street itself was more or less empty. If they hurried...

Ash didn't give them time to think. "COME ON!" Grabbing Misty by the hand he forced her forward, down the street. Everyone followed, realizing the urgency of the situation. They sped through the street, hoping they could outrun the creatures behind and beside them.

The monsters hesitated for a critical moment, surprised at the human's sudden move. The leader of the cat creatures regained composure first and began chasing the group, Jessie in particular. It hadn't forgotten that incident with the barbed wire whip and the tongue monsters. With leaps and bounds, it closed in on the teenage thief.

Meanwhile, the scythe monsters began swiping at the runners with their blades. It seemed like an extreme sports gauntlet, the creatures attacking the group from both sides. None of them were trying to block the way forward...Brock figured that they were treating it like a game. Ducking and hopping, the children were able to evade most of the blades. Most of them.

One of them caught May squarely in the leg. The girl shrieked in pain as the scythe dug into her shin, forcing her to the ground. Ash heard her scream and whirled around to help. He barely had time to pick her up and get her out of the way before the creature swiped at them again. If Ash had been a second slower, he would've lost his head.

Jessie and James were bringing up the rear, using what acrobatics they knew to dodge the creature's desperate attacks. They were actually fairly successful, enough for a confident James to taunt "Nice try!"

A slash at his arm taught him not to speak to soon.

Just then the man turned around. The cat creature had closed in on them, it and it's pack. They were dodging the gauntlet with expert ease. The one with the scar on it's face was taking a running leap towards Jessie, claws ready to enact revenge...

James didn't bother to think. Backtracking so that he was between Jessie and the pouncing monster, he threw as powerful a punch as he could at the creature's skull face. The fist connected hard with the creature, sending it sprawling back. Jessie and James didn't bother to check if it was knocked out...another scythe nearly chopped off James' nose and convinced them to keep running.

The end of the gauntlet was in sight...as well as the end of the alley. A wire fence with the sign 'Beware of Dog' was to the left, an exit at last. The group ran even faster, Ash carrying May on his back. They had to get out of the swiping, slashing blades fast.

May's added weight slowed Ash down, and the blades kept coming dangerously close to both of them. That was when Pikachu decided it had rested enough. Sending out a jolt of electricity at the remaining scythe monsters, it paralyzed them long enough for Ash, May and the others to get to the wire fence. They all leapt over it and ducked into the alley nearby.

Behind them, the cat-creatures pack was almost catching up. The creatures ran between the scythe monsters, entirely focused on the fleeing children. Which was a mistake, because at least one of the scythe creatures thought the game was still going.

Within a second, a cat monster was sliced in half. The front and back fell to the ground, with nary a drop of blood.

The rest of the pack immediately turned their attention to the scythe monsters, leaping on them and tearing at their 'throats'. The creatures retaliated with their blades, cutting many pack members to ribbons. Soon they were all tearing at each other...

...and the children had escaped.

Taking momentary shelter in the alleyway behind the houses, the group struggled to regain their breath and bandage their wounds...they hadn't gone through the gauntlet unscathed. Thankfully it was mostly minor cuts and scrapes.

May's wound was the worst. Brock was running out of medical supplies, so the group improvised with Ash's vest and a spare belt to bandage the wound. It was hardly a first rate job, but it at least stopped the bleeding. May tried to get up and failed, sprawling onto the ground. Max found a long stick of something and May was able to use it as a crutch.

"Why did we leave the restaurant again?" May groaned.

"How long do you think we would last in there if those things found us?" Brock tried to explain.

"How long do you think we'll last out _here_?"

"Um, Ash..." Meowth was staring wide-eyed at something further down in the alley. "You...uh, might wanna take a look at dis..."

Ash turned around to look at it, as did everyone else. What they saw made them heave a collective gasp.

Lying on the brick wall down the alley was the dead body of a woman. She had countless gashes on her broken body, just like the man from the amusement park. Her t-shirt and skirt were full of bloody holes, red ruining the original color of her outfit. But the corpse itself wasn't the most disturbing part of the scene.

Someone or something had used the woman's blood to create a childish 'drawing' on the wall beside her. A boy with a big smile. The jacket, jeans and scar on the face displayed the subject to be Ash. Below the 'drawing' was a series of scribbles made out of more blood. The dripping had obscured most of the message, but if one looked at it right, the word '**DAddY**' could be seen.

None of the group could take their eyes off the grotesque scene. "Wow..." James breathed. "They really went to a lot of trouble to capture your likeness..."

Ash nodded numbly. He knew what did this...the skull children from the amusement park. The ones he had heard whispering when they arrived in this area. Was _this_ the surprise they were talking about? This bloody drawing of him? And 'Daddy'? They were all shrieking 'Daddy' at the amusement park...did those things think he was their father? That was ridiculous...there was no way in all the world those..._murderers_ could be his 'sons' in any sense. He was not their...

Father. _Satos_, Ash suddenly remembered.

May turned to Brock, a less than pleased expression on her face. "LOOK at this! With those monsters running around town, we won't survive another hour in the streets!"

Brock tried to placate her. "Keep calm, May. That's the best thing we can..."

"CALM? My leg is slashed, I can still hear the creatures that cut it, there's probably more out there, we're expected to stay in the streets and you want me to be CALM? It was YOUR idea to go back out when we were safe in that restaurant! We should've just stayed there in the first place!" May screamed.

James gave her an incredulous look. "You want to go _back_?"

May heard the fight between the cat and scythe creatures behind them, and quickly changed the subject. "And just whose brilliant idea was to go back into this insane town in the first place, huh?"

"HEY!" Misty retorted. "I never heard _you_ having any bright ideas! Don't pin this all on Ash!"

"Hey..." Max remarked. "Where _is_ Ash?"

The group looked up and noticed that in the middle of their argument, Ash had left the group. Brock groaned. "Not again..."

Fortunately Ash was back in a second, a slightly pleased look on his face. "Good news, guys. Sudowoodo Oaks is just through this alley. I looked...there wasn't any creatures in the streets. Whole place is deserted."

"Just like this place was?" May muttered before being elbowed by James.

He pointed to both May's leg and his own arm, which he had wrapped a sheet around quickly. "Quiet. We gotta get to the hospital."

_And my father _Ash reminded himself. He had better be there.

As Ash had assured them, the district was deserted. Not a monster in sight…just grey buildings that tried their hardest to stand out from the oppressive mist. The entire area was nondescript…in the daylight, it would've been considered homey, traditional, conservative. Now… it just looked like shadows in the midst of shadows, the ghost of peaceful times past. There was no wind. The air stood still, as if it had died itself. The oppressive quiet crawled through the children's bones, making them even more unsettled than before.

No matter how quiet it seemed, the group didn't move any less cautiously than before. They crept through the streets, eyes and ears wide open. With their collective wounds, the children could only move very slowly, and they felt they wouldn't stand a chance if another attack happened. But all they could do was move forward and pray. Pray for safety.

For hours, nothing happened. It was as uneventful as a regular stroll through a quiet neighbourhood, although not even remotely as enjoyable. Then Misty spotted something important. "Ash, there it is!"

It was unmistakable. The burned-out husk of Markus' former house stood out like a sore thumb in the deadened neighbourhood. The place was still standing, barely. Several of the walls and supports had crumbled into ash. The entire house looked as if it had been murdered; a wretched, twisted place devoid of all life.

Ash gulped hard. This had to be it! "Dad's in there...he's gotta be!" He'd better be...if he wasn't, he could be anywhere, and they couldn't look 'anywhere' the way things were. It was too dangerous, especially for his friends...

But he had to find his father.

* * *

Misty accompanied Ash and Pikachu into the decrepit remains of the mayoral candidate's home. The entire place was a morbid black, any traces of Markus' former life destroyed by Dakos. Ash had never met Markus, but he felt a surge of sympathy for the man. A normal person, having their life ended by a rival's greed and their dreams destroyed. The videotape of Dakos shooting Markus played in the boy's head.

Dakos...Ash started to wonder if the man was at least partially responsible for this nightmare. This madness hadn't started until after Dakos had murdered Markus, and then his 'power'...no. He wasn't controlling the monsters; otherwise they wouldn't have attacked him. It had to be Alessa. But why was she...

It didn't matter. Satos mattered.

Misty remembered the place all too well. She had come here after reading the note in Ash's room, running all the way. When she arrived, she was completely out of breath but wouldn't stop. The thought of Ash in the clutches of that murderer had spurred her on, and she would've torn the place – and the killer - apart with her bare hands if she had the chance.

Ash prayed silently that Satos was ok. If he lost his father again…with no chance of seeing him again…he didn't know what he would…

Just then, both of the children heard a noise coming from downstairs. Moaning.

"DAD!" Without thinking twice, Ash bolted down the blackened stairwell. Misty recognized the stairwell as the one she had bolted down herself when she found that note in Ash's room. It felt like it had happened yesterday, she remembered it that vividly.

Misty quickly followed her friend down. The stairwell was long, and as they grew closer the noise grew louder and clearer. The louder it got, the stranger it sounded. But Ash didn't notice or care. Misty noticed, however. It started to sound more like a bear than a human.

"Ash…" She tried to get her friend's attention in vain. But Ash was far ahead of her by now. The girl picked up her pace as they ran into the dark basement. They had just reached the blackened basement when Misty was able to catch up to Ash. The girl quickly put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

The boy whirled around in annoyance. "_Misty, what…_?"

"Ash, listen!"

They both listened. The moaning they had heard was loud and clear now. It didn't sound like a person groaning in pain or fear. It sounded like a huge animal breathing in it's sleep. A very dangerous animal.

Ash gulped, now very nervous. Neither he nor Misty could see what was in the basement…the entire floor was pitch black. Now that they knew there was something inhuman inside, the children were filled with trepidation. No person or creature could be seen…there was only the faintest light coming from the stairwell, illuminating a small patch just in front of them. And there was nothing to see there except the soot from the fire…

Ash noticed something. It looked like a small locket, or a picture one carried around in his pocket. With a slight curiosity, he picked it up…

And the room was abruptly lit up. Ash and Misty looked up and gasped.

The monster they heard in the stairwell had woken up. It was huge - twice their size – and resembled a bear without any fur. It's head didn't have any eyes, just a deep pit in it's forehead and a mouth frozen in an agonized scream. The head, shoulders and back of the creature was ablaze, the flames illuminating the room as the creature screamed in pain and rage. The burning monster lumbered towards the children, swiping at the air with it's claws.

Worse, the flames on it's back were catching. The ceiling began to burn, and an ominous creaking filled the air as the already destroyed foundations began to disintegrate further. The house could not stand another fire.

Neither could the children.


	23. Chapter 22

The rest of the group had been left waiting outside. They had been told that if Ash and Misty didn't come out in five minutes, they would press on to the hospital. Brock was quite surprised at this instruction from Ash, but the boy wasn't willing to let his search for his father put the others in more jeopardy than it already had. Brock guessed he was feeling guilty that they had followed him into this nightmare town. But what else could they have done…and what were friends for? Still…

Something snapped the boy out of his thoughts. Coming from the house were two familiar voices screaming in fear. Ash and Misty. From the sound of it, they hadn't found Satos at all.

Brock, Jessie, James and Max were ready to go inside and save them from whatever creature had attacked them this time, and charged at the house. Before they were even halfway up Markus' driveway, Misty smashed through the front door, reducing the already decrepit wood to cinders. Through the doorway, Ash and the burning creature could be seen. The boy and his Pikachu had lingered for a second to fire a thunderbolt at the monster and buy some more time.

But there was no more time. The flames on the creature's back had ignited the house's remains, spreading with alarming speed. Everyone knew the house would be ablaze within seconds, if it didn't simply collapse as the supports were destroyed.

"ASH, GET OUT OF THERE!" May screamed.

Ash heeded her warning. Taking Pikachu up in his arms, the boy leapt towards the doorway. With a deafening roar, the blazing creature took a swipe at the boy's back, ripping of the back of the boy's jacket. But Ash didn't have time to register pain as he landed just outside the doorway, almost on top of Misty.

Just in time…the roof of the house collapsed, pinning the creature down. It let out a muffled scream of fury before becoming silent. Of course, amidst the loud crackle of the flames any noises would be lost.

Ash got Misty up to her feet and they ran away from the blazing wreck that used to be Markus' house. They almost fell at the group's feet but were caught in time by Brock.

Max noticed Ash's back. There were cuts going across his back, bleeding through his shirt. "Ash…"

"Just a scratch…" Ash winced.

Brock had to agree. The monster had only barely got him…these cuts wouldn't slow him down very much. He was lucky.

Once assured that Ash, Misty and Pikachu were alive, the group all turned to Markus' house.

It no longer resembled a house anymore. The entire place had been flattened, with only the smallest remnants of walls standing up. Flames disintegrated everything that was left of the building, until it was nothing more than a huge firepit. Anything or anyone that was left in there could not have possibly survived.

Everyone turned to Ash, waiting for his reaction. This was where he had hoped to find his father, the reason they had returned to this town. And now…

Ash quivered for a few moments, like a volcano ready to burst. His teeth gritted so hard they hurt, and a few tears sprung up in his eyes. His hands clenched into tight fists, ready to crush. Something in his hand cut into his fingers, but he didn't notice at the time.

Then, to everyone's surprise, he simply took a deep breath and turned away from the blazing ruin. "Let's…keep going. Hospital." He stated with no trace of anger or disappointment.

Everyone just blinked.

"He wasn't here. Let's go. Something's bound to notice this fire. Come on."

Everyone silently nodded, though still a little puzzled at Ash's behaviour. They all regrouped and began trudging down the road to the hospital.

"But before we continue…" Ash suddenly announced. "I'd like to just say one thing."

Everyone paused.

"!"

It was several minutes of walking though fog before Ash remembered what he had picked up at Markus' house, and looked at it in his hand.

It wasn't a medallion per se, but a sort of pocket picture-frame. A simple thing, wood and circular. Ash saw the back first. On it was what Ash hoped was red ink, but felt it was something else. The word written in red, in a messy but legible scrawl, was simply 'FATHER'.

Ash turned it over in his hand. It wasn't his father. The man in the picture was blond, with a somewhat melancholy look on his face. He didn't wear glasses. Ash glanced at the picture for a moment before returning it to his pocket. Whose father was that?

He supposed it didn't matter. Not right now. He had to get the others to safety. Right now, that was his only priority.

They had all followed him to this place, out of loyalty. Now they were all getting hurt and barely avoiding getting killed, all because he had to come back for his father. And now the place where they'd hoped to find him was…

Of course, there were other places Alessa and Pyramid Head could be holding him in. But at the rate they were going, his friends could be dead by the time they found Satos. And he couldn't have that. He had to get his friends somewhere safe, and right now the hospital seemed like the best candidate. They would get there.

After that…

The monsters walked, hissed, growled and sighed in the fog, but nothing attacked the weary group as they trudged towards Kalville hospital. The noises were distant, although they still sounded too close for comfort. However, it seemed the group had stopped listening.

The group was no longer as terrified as it had been before. Now, they were just…tired. Tired of all this madness, tired of fearing for their lives, tired of walking through this town. They needed to rest, recover. But they knew they couldn't stop until they reached the hospital. Brock didn't have the medical supplies to bandage their wounds any more than he already had. Hopefully, the hospital would have more.

For endless minutes nothing happened. The Pokemon Trainers reached another part of Kalville, a place with tall brick apartment buildings and department stores. A dead man was hanging on his balcony, dangling from a noose improvised with an electric cord. May told her brother not to look at it. What drove this person to taking his own life?

A small dark shape darted across their line of vision, and James let out a shriek of surprise. Another one, slightly larger, hovered around a nearby dumpster. They were moving too fast to be registered as anything other than something unnatural. When another shape got too close to Ash, Pikachu shot it down with a Thunderbolt.

Max blinked in confusion. "A Shuppet?"

Sure enough, the puppetlike creature recovering from the electric attack was nothing more than a common Shuppet. The Pokemon got itself up and shook itself, but instead of counterattacking Pikachu it simply flew off with a smile on it's face.

Shuppet and it's evolution Banette were flitting around in large numbers throughout the district. They all seemed to have giddy smiles on their faces, and watching them brought to mind drunken revellers at a party. A few of them were laughing, a jarringly merry noise in the otherwise dead quiet of the town. A small group of them were even dancing around the hanging man.

Misty was confused and more than a little disturbed. "Why on earth are they so cheerful?"

Max had an answer. "Well…they feed on negative emotions like envy and vengeance, maybe even fear…"

"I guess there's so much in the town, they've got drunk." Meowth added.

"Yeah, they must be loving it here." Ash remarked bitterly.

The group continued on, doing their best to ignore the giggling sounds of the ghost Pokemon. They were almost as unbearable as the cries of the monsters. The group kept walking through the alleyway, wondering when exactly they would get to the hospital.

Something soft fell on Jessie's head. She felt her hair quickly, and found brick dust. The girl immediately looked up, but nothing could be seen above her in the fog.

A tapping noise, the sound of shoes in an unnatural walk, emanated from somewhere in the fog. Brock forced the group to stop. Was that human footsteps?

At the end of the alleyway, the fog was thick enough to obscure whatever street the way opened to. For a few breathless seconds, nothing happened.

Then a figure appeared in the fog, nothing more than a distant shadow, walking towards the group. Pikachu started growling. From what the group could tell, it was human. A woman…albeit one with a very strange limp…

Brock breathed a small sigh of relief. "Miss? Are you okay? Did you hurt your leg?"

She didn't reply, and just shuffled closer and closer to the group. More features could be seen as she lumbered forward. She was a grown woman, rather tall and busty, wearing bloodied white scrubs that seemed to be low-cut and a skirt that was very short. A nurse's uniform. Some sort of metal pipe was clutched in her hand. And her face…

May gasped aloud. "HER FACE!"

She didn't have a face. Her head was nothing more than a fleshy lump, violently thrashing around as if it was about to burst.

Suddenly Ash recognized her. "YOU!" he snarled. This was the faceless woman from the hotel, the one who knocked him out and kidnapped him, the one with the scalpel going towards his eye…

Rage overtook Ash, and he leapt right at the faceless nurse, his hands ready to wrap around her throat…but in the blink of an eye, the nurse had swatted him away with the pipe, twisting her upper body in an unnatural manner. The boy slammed into the wall hard, all the breath knocked out of his lungs. The nurse shifted her body back to normal, letting out hideous cracking noises with every move she made. She raised her pipe to hit Ash again…

"PIKKAAAA!" Pikachu hit her with a powerful Volt Tackle squarely in the chest. The faceless nurse crumbled at the attack, losing her grip on her pipe and falling to the ground. Pikachu pinned her down as she seemed to stop moving. Ash quickly got back up again and grabbed the pipe the nurse had dropped. The others ran up to the fallen 'nurse' as Ash grabbed the side of it's head.

"I want answers! Why did you kidnap me? Why Satos? Talk! Or I'll…"

Ash ripped off what was covering the nurse's head, thinking it was a mask of some sort. It wasn't. The bloody mess that was under the 'nurse's' flesh mask was not even remotely human, not resembling anything that was even remotely natural. Everyone gasped in horror and disgust.

"_Another_ creature?" James gulped.

Ash stared at the bloody pulp he had ripped off the nurse's head. He quickly dropped it into a nearby trashcan. "Smooth…going…hero…" he groaned, ready to throw up. That hadn't helped matters at all.

Suddenly the nurse recovered. Pikachu was abruptly smacked off the nurse's chest and Ash got kicked away. The nurse leapt up and landed in it's hands and feet, crouching like a spider. It paused as if contemplating it's next move, head rattling like a bobble-doll. Then, before anyone could attack, it jumped straight up, out of the group's sight. There was no way a human could do that.

Nobody moved for a second. "What…was…that…?"

"The nurse I told you guys about." Ash muttered. "Just another monster."

Meowth's eyes suddenly became very wide. "Um…you sure it wasn't one of dose ones?" he squeaked.

Ash whirled around. Two more faceless nurses had suddenly dropped down from above, blocking the way out. They were both carrying scalpels and some sort of syringe. Their joints creaked and snapped as they began running towards the group, sharp weapons at the ready…

Pikachu stopped both of them with a powerful Thunderbolt, paralyzing them in their tracks. Without a second thought, Ash bulldozed through them, knocking the two creatures aside. Everyone followed, running as fast as they could to the exit…

Only to find an army of the nurse monsters waiting.

"Bad nurses…bad nurses…bad nurses…" Brock kept babbling in shock.

The one with the torn-off face was at the forefront, and pointed at the group and Ash with her bloodied finger. Several dozen of the nurses, all armed with syringes, scalpels and bludgeons, closed in on the group. Several were clinging to the walls like spiders, ready to pounce on their prey.

One of them leapt behind Max, and before the boy could turn around a syringe was thrust into his neck. May heard her brother's shriek and smashed the nurse aside, only to see her brother fall to the ground, unconscious. Another nurse knocked her out with a blow to the back of the head.

Pikachu fired Thunderbolt after thunderbolt and the advancing legion, but there were always more coming from every corner. A flung syringe hit the mouse, and with a squeal of anger, the Pokemon crumbled to the ground.

Ash and Misty bravely charged forward, but were quickly lost amidst the legion of faceless nurses. Brock tried to follow them, but a blow from one of the nurse's crowbars felled him as well.

Ash was hemmed in by the nurses, losing sight of Misty. The creature's bludgeons hit him several times, but he would not go down. His metal pipe smashed aside nurse after nurse in his bold struggle. His teeth were gritted as he fought them like a berserker. He had to protect his friends…

A syringe stabbed him.

The boy felt everything go black. _No…I can't…I have to keep…everyone_…

Strangely, the nurses had stopped hitting him, simply waiting for him to fall. He swung his pipe at thin air, feeling it grow heavier and heavier as everything went darker and darker.

_Can't…lose…everyone…Misty...Pikachu…Satos…_

The pipe fell from him hands, clattering on the ground.

_No…_

Ash fell to his knees, unable to keep himself up.

He had failed. He couldn't protect his father, and now he couldn't protect his friends. This was all his fault. He never should have come back here. He never should have come here, period. Tears sprung in his eyes before they were too heavy for him to keep open.

The boy helplessly fell to the ground, joining all his friends. Everything went completely black, and the cracking shuffles of the faceless nurses came closer and closer.

He had failed.


	24. Chapter 23

It was the nightmare that woke him up. Ash was being forcibly dragged to a deep pit in the ground by the skull-headed children. When he tried to force himself out of their clammy grasp, they dug in with their knives. And they never stopped chanting that eerie refrain…

_Daddy…daddy…daddy…daddy…daddy…_

Ash tried grabbing the metal grating that the ground had become, but the mesh was covered in blood, making it impossible for him to hold on to. His fingers slid off and he came closer and closer to the hole…

_Daddy…daddy…daddy…_

"LET ME GO!" Ash screamed in vain. The creatures had reached the pit with their catch, and lifted the boy onto their shoulders to throw him in.

_Daddy…_

The hole was bottomless…Ash was falling through it screaming for what seemed an eternity…

And then he woke up.

The first thing Ash registered was the bumping, the sensation felt when inside a fast-moving vehicle. His vision was still a little blurry, so he tried to raise his hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes…and discovered his wrists were strapped down. Just like the last time he had seen Alessa in person.

His eyes opened wide to take in his current surroundings and situation. The vehicle he was in had IV stands and first-aid kits stained with blood…an ambulance. Ash was strapped to a hospital gurney that had been chained in place. Built-in mats, on top of each other like bunk beds, were carrying four other people. Ash recognized them all…Brock, Jessie, Misty and May. They had all been strapped in as well, but unlike him, they were still knocked out.

He didn't see Max, Pikachu, Meowth or James anywhere.

Ash had to crane his head slightly, but he caught a glimpse of the driver. Another 'nurse', from the look of it. Same twitching head, same outfit, same nonexistent face.

They were being taken…but where?

Ash didn't move for a few minutes, not wanting to alert the driver too soon. But when the boy looked out the closest window, he saw a sign that pointed the way to Kalville Hospital…and this ambulance was driving the opposite way.

Ash began wriggling his wrist out of the straps. He had to get free. The nurse was taking him and his friends who-knows-where, and he couldn't have that. For all he knew, it was driving them off a cliff, or sending them straight to that butcher to be made into hamburgers for his dogs. The boy tried to get himself free without making any noise, but with the tight straps, it was a difficult process to say the least.

Ash heard Jessie mumbling herself awake. The woman was quiet, but Ash guessed she was having a nightmare. "James…? James, where are you? _James?_" Everyone had nightmares in this town, waking or sleeping, it seemed.

Suddenly a very loud musical tone came from May's bunk. The noise echoed through the ambulance, waking everyone else up. Jessie opened her eyes and yelled. "_Meowth! Turn down that racket!_ Meowth? James?"

Everyone else groggily woke up. A few of them mumbled at first, but upon seeing their situation they became very quiet.

The nurse turned her head around on her neck to investigate the noise. The musical tone rang obnoxiously through the moving vehicle, some pop-song by a boy-band. A cell phone tune? Whatever it was, it got the Nurse's attention. The ambulance came to a stop, and the Nurse got out of her seat, grabbed a metal pipe and lumbered to the back.

Ash redoubled his efforts to free his right hand.

May shrieked at the sight of the faceless nurse standing over her. The creature didn't seem to notice her scream, but instead focused on the musical tone that was emanating from May's bunk. After digging through the girl's purse, the monster found the source of the first noise…May's phone, having received a message. The nurse stared at the phone for a second…

When Ash suddenly smashed an IV stand over the creature's head. The nurse fell to the floor, May's phone rolling from it's hands.

"Ash, what are you…"

The boy didn't answer, immediately removing the straps holding May down. Once the girl was free, he turned to do the same to Misty. He had gotten one arm loose when the nurse rose and grabbed him in a headlock.

Ash growled and bit into the nurse's arm, but the faceless creature didn't seem to notice. With it's other arm, it raised the pipe to smash over the boy's head.

It would've, had the club not been snatched out of it's grasp by May. The nurse's head did a 180 degree turn on it's neck, much to May's horror. "EAAAAAUGHHHHH!" Letting out a scream, the girl reflexively hit the creature square on the head.

Very hard.

Much to everyone's shock, May's attack had completely smashed the nurse's head in, killing it. Apparently nurses could survive having their 'faces' ripped off, but not having their heads crushed. The grasp on Ash weakened, and the creature's body crumpled to the floor of the ambulance. May stared wide-eyed at the dead figure on the ground, a mixture of accomplishment and horror keeping her dead silent.

Ash shook his head clear and continued to undo Misty's straps. The girl was more than a little disturbed that Ash seemed unaffected by what May had done, but reminded herself that those 'nurses' weren't human. The notion only helped a little…

Once Misty was free, Ash undid Jessie's straps while Misty saw to Brock's. The first thing Jessie did once she was free was grab May's phone from the floor and scowl. "You had a PHONE this entire time? We could've called for help hours ago!"

May didn't respond, still staring numbly at the fallen 'nurse'. Jessie waved her hand in front of the girl's face. "Helllooo? Anybody home?"

"Jessie, lay off." Misty remarked.

The woman sighed, and then looked around. "Where's James and Meowth?"

"And Pikachu?"

"And Max?"

At Max's name, May snapped to attention. "_Max?_ Max, where is he?"

"He's not here." Ash sighed. "They must've had him in another ambulance, with James and Pika-"

May suddenly grabbed Ash by the collar. "MY BROTHER! I can't lose my brother, Dad will have a fit! Where is he?"

"I don't know!" Ash stammered.

May's face warped into a furious expression. "You don't know. We've lost my brother. We're stuck in this town. We're dead meat. All because we followed you in here!" May slammed her fist right into the boy's face. "_This is all your fault_!" May would've done more, but Misty stopped her.

"May, calm down! This isn't helping!"

May snarled. "What else can I do, huh? We can't find Ash's dad, we couldn't get to the hospital, we've lost Max and James and have no idea where to find them…" May gasped and gasped before finally dissolving into tears. "God…what do we do now?"

Nobody had an answer.

Brock picked up the phone from the floor. "This is from Max…"

May swiftly ripped it out of his hand. It was a text message from Max's PokeNav. Everyone crowded around to see what it read.

_Im with james and satos hes alive were all ok I don't know where we are ill call you back don't call me I don't want to alert guard_

Max tucked his PokeNav into his pocket, praying that their guard hadn't noticed him sending a message.

He was in a small iron cage, dangling above the floor like a captive canary. A pillow and blanket had been provided, thank goodness for small favours. Unfortunately, that was all he could see clearly right now…his glasses had fallen where he couldn't reach them, and he didn't have the nerve to ask the guard to get them. The entire room was blurry for him. He couldn't make out anything more than a meter in front of him.

He knew that James, Satos and Pikachu were in nearby cages. James could be heard snoring softly right beside Max, and the boy found himself envying the crook. Pikachu had tried to break out of it's own small cage, but the material of the cage was resistant to it's electrical attacks. Eventually it just gave up, and was lying on the floor softly crying. Satos was here too…Max had to squint his eyes to see his figure, on the far end of the room they were in. He was being held in…something, but was it a cage?

All Max could see was that the room was large, bare and had a lot of fans in the walls. All the cages were on a ledge high above another floor, and Max figured that they had been put there to have a clear view of whatever happened down there. He couldn't make out anything else, no matter how hard he tried. He tried to focus on any details he could use to figure out the location, but was interrupted by the loud, hideous scraping sound coming closer – the guard.

Max shivered hard as the unmistakable noise came closer and closer to him. Had the guard noticed him sending the message? Max covered his ears and willed himself to become very small as the huge sentry came closer and closer.

The scraping sound became earsplitting, and Max knew the guard was right behind him now. The boy didn't look up, not daring to see the terrifying figure that had been pacing around the cages, keeping an eye on his prisoners.

The noise grew slightly quieter, and Max realized the guard had just walked past him, not stopping his usual route. He breathed a silent sigh of utter relief.

The boy prayed his friends would come soon.

After throwing the nurse's body out of the vehicle, the group held a quick conference on where to go next. Trying to phone for help soon proved useless...no-one picked up at the police station, and for some reason they couldn't call anyone outside Kalville. The only place anyone could think of was their original destination, the hospital. There were still wounds to bandage, and May needed to rest…after that attack of hysteria, she was in no condition to wander the town. Nobody blamed her for it.

At least one good thing came out of their experience…they had a vehicle now, and could reach the hospital in a fast and relatively safe manner. It was a good thing Jessie knew how to drive.

Riding the ambulance through the streets of Kalville, Ash had a flashback of his car trip with Satos…to think he only had it a few hours ago. His first and, so far, his only experience with his father. Just before that…

Ash was elated to hear that Satos was alive and everyone else was OK. But he still had no idea where they were, and even with Max's contact he doubted he would find out anytime soon. But they were all OK. That was important. Now if they would stay OK long enough for him to find them…save them…

Several creatures tried to chase the ambulance, but they were easy to shake off. Strangely easy. Ash started to wonder if they were even trying anymore, if they were just as weary of this insanity as he was. Or maybe it was just Jessie's driving. She moved pretty fast.

Ash glanced out the window and saw the wreck of the butcher shop, where he had first encountered Pyramid Head. It suddenly occurred to him that that was where the others were, but that notion was struck down by a number of things. First, it was too obvious. Second, there was no place to hide anyone there – the entire building had been levelled flat by the blaze. It was literally nothing but charcoal. Third, the Nurse that kidnapped them had driven past it…if they were originally going where Pyramid Head and Alessa were holding their captives, this wasn't the place.

Ash almost regretted breaking everyone free, but what else could he have done? What else…

They were at Kalville hospital in minutes. It seemed anticlimactic, arriving at the place with little difficulty after all that had happened. But nobody was interested in complaining or thinking it odd.

The hospital was standard, a huge white building with a red cross signifying it's purpose. There was really not much else to say about the place…the only thing unusual about it were the scattered corpses of monsters around the building. At this point, nobody bothered to wonder why that was.

There was a garage of sorts, where the ambulances were parked. Jessie headed inside, thanks to a door opener above the vehicle's steering wheel. Once the vehicle had been parked, everybody entered the hospital.

May had to use Misty as a crutch, but the group steadily limped and lumbered through the apparently deserted hospital. The lights had been shorted out, casting the hospital in darkness. Luckily Brock still had a flashlight handy. Remarkably, the entire hospital seemed relatively untouched. The only signs of struggle were a few overturned wheelchairs and scattered papers. There a few bloodstains, but no signs of real violence. The building was as quiet as the grave.

Almost.

The group kept hearing noises. Sounds of shuffling, sighing, and groaning. This time, these noises were human. But nobody knew where the noises were coming from…they seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. Worse, the distinctive cracking noises of those faceless Nurses echoed occassionaly through the building, although no-one saw any more Nurses.

Brock figured that proper medical supplies would be in a storage room somewhere, or even just any of the rooms. But all the doors were either locked or broken, much to everyone's frustration. The group kept trudging through the blackened hallways of Kalville Hospital, hoping something would happen.

Then they heard something coming up from behind them, the click-click-click of woman's heels echoing in the hallway. "Um…excuse me…"

Everybody whirled around in surprise, expecting another monster. Their suspicions seemed confirmed when the flashlight beam illuminated a nurse's uniform. Ash was about to attack when Brock stopped him. The woman's face, hair and cardigan made the young man realize this wasn't another monster.

"Lisa!"

Ash blinked. Sure enough, this was the very-human nurse that he had woken up to after he got his scar. The woman held her hands in front of her face to block the sudden flashlight. "It's you guys! I thought you had left already."

"We got diverted." May groaned bitterly. Ash cringed at his friend's tone.

Brock smiled broadly. "Thank goodness you're here, Lisa! We've had a few…scrapes we need to bandage properly."

"Scrapes?" Misty glanced at May's leg and Ash's back. In all the confusion no-one had noticed how badly they were bleeding now. Maybe it was all the stress lately.

Lisa motioned them to follow her. "Let's not talk up here. I can get you bandaged up in a jiffy."

Everyone followed her, glad to see a friendly face at last.

They weren't so glad when they reached the hospital basement.

With the main and backup generator blown out, the lighting was improvised…candles, flashlights, electric charges and fire Pokemon. But there was enough light to see what was on that floor.

Dozens of people and Pokemon were huddled together, wounded and bandaged but still alive. They were all shivering in fear, talking nervously about what was happening outside. A few Pokemon, some unharmed but others as badly hurt as their trainers, sat next to their unconscious trainers, loyally watching over them. A few men and women were sobbing about loved ones they had lost.

"Everyone was caught by surprise." Lisa explained as she treated the wounds on May's leg. "The patients that were already here and…well, people like you guys. Everyone thought to come to the hospital. There's people in the rooms upstairs, but most of the patients feel it's safer down here."

"I'm surprised no monsters have attacked." Another human doctor was treating Misty's leg. The girl winced in pain for a second.

"They did early on…that's what happened to the generator. But we've set up some…" Lisa's eyes grew faraway for a second. "…Sentries, they've been keeping those creatures away from the hospital."

"Don't talk about them…speak of the devil, and he'll show up." An old lady remarked airily.

Lisa continued. "We've managed to keep everyone alive, but this hospital's supplies are running pretty thin. I'd feel a lot better if we could everybody out of this crazy town."

Ash made a suggestion. "Couldn't you use the ambulances?" The Chansey treating his back sighed.

"Not enough." A nearby doctor remarked. "Not for all these people. I'd send out someone to find a working bus or something, but…you know…"

"Yeah."

Jessie was pacing up and down, not wounded enough to warrant treatment and not patient enough to wait. "Does anybody have any idea what the hell is going on outside?"

"Hell's broke loose!"

"It's just a nightmare, just a dream, I'll wake up soon I'll wake up soon…"

"A pandemic! Some sorta disease is…"

"Who cares? My brother got killed out there!"

'Everybody **QUIET**! My baby is trying to sleep."

Jessie sat down in frustration. That wasn't very helpful.

Ash sighed aloud. Now what? He replaced his shirt now that the doctor had finished bandaging. Now that they'd finally reached the hospital, he had no clue what his next step should be.

Lisa finished up May's leg. "If you ask me, this town's cursed. Ever since the last town was here…"

Misty's ears perked up. "Excuse me?"

"Before everything went crazy, I was looking through that USB drive…you know, the one from Ash's mouth. Turns out there was another town here, and this happened then. Place called 'Silent Hill'. Ever heard of it?"

Ash's eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped from shock. He had heard of it. The scene from the antique store played over in his head.

_It has been long years since Silent Hill has fallen…_

_the empress…_

_Silent Hill…_

_Alessa…_

_Empress…_

_Silent Hill..._

Alessa the empress of Silent Hill.

Ash whirled to face Lisa, eager to hear more. "Yeah, what else? What else did it say?"

Lisa gulped. "Well…I only got that far when everything went crazy…"

Ash grabbed the nurse by her shirt. "Where is it? Where's your laptop? I need to see what was on there!"

"Ash, calm down!" Misty took the excited Ash by the shoulder.

"I have it here, but without electricity, I can't…"

"If you want…" Someone in the crowd of people volunteered, "You can use my Plusle for the current."

"Thank you!" Ash breathed. The boy hurriedly motioned to Lisa to bring out the drive and the laptop. "L-let's see it. Maybe we can figure out what's going on!"

The boy was excited. Finally, some sort of lead, an explanation! He could figure out this nightmare, Alessa's connection to this insanity, and maybe even the location of Pikachu and the others! Now, there was some cause for hope. Much-needed hope.

Eventually, the Plusle, laptop and USB were all set up, with the group crowded around the computer screen. All were praying for some sort of explanation. With any luck, they'd get one.

The file 'Historical Celebration of Kalville' was the one Lisa had been looking at earlier. That was the one that hopefully held the answers.

With a click, the file opened and everyone began reading.


	25. Chapter 24

_Another late night for me. These goddamn nightmares have only been getting worse with time. I wonder if Dakos is having the same problems. I personally hope he is. I can't concentrate very well on the election with the amount of sleep I'm getting. But I figure I might as well put my waking hours to good use._

_I've had study in cultural anthropology and archaeology, and I figured some sort of historical celebration would help the tourism problem…if nothing else, give Kalville another good reason to attract vacationers. I've already encouraged the townspeople to bring any sort of historical document they find to the campaign headquarters. But the stuff I'm finding is not going to attract residents, it's going to drive them away! God, the founders should've taken a closer look at this place before they built a town here. This place does not have good history._

_It's strange, but something tells me I should summarize my findings. Not sure why. Posterity, ease of use for some archaeologist or PR specialist? Or more likely, some paranormal phenomenon buffs. I keep thinking it'll be important somehow. Well, I got nothing else to do and I'm not getting any sleep, so I might as well record._

_Well, the earliest record I could find said that this area was a sacred place. 'The place of the Silent Spirits'. Now that sounded good, sacred places are good for PR. Then there's reports of epidemics, plagues, establishment as a prison colony…nothing that couldn't be glossed over. But things get very bizarre when the first real town is erected: Silent Hill._

_After the prison closed, Silent Hill became a tourist town, just like Kalville is today. It was pretty popular, beautiful spot. I found this nice videotape of a couple on their vacation, and from the sound of it Silent Hill was quite a tourist destination. A couple of boating accidents poisoned the reputation of the lake, but other than that, nothing seemed to be amiss._

_And then everything went to hell. From what I've found out, it all began with a group a girl._

_Some bizarre religious group referred to only as 'The Order' was situated here, probably drawn to it's status as a sacred place. Initially, seemed to be nothing more than a typical sect, praying to 'God' for salvation and joy. But when you take a look at the basic tenant of their faith – 'there is no good or evil, there is only chaos and order' – you know they'll be trouble. They were incredibly brutal, enough to demand a police investigation for torture and murder. They did not take dissenters very well. And then the girl came along._

_Alessa Gillespie was the daughter of one of the order's priestesses, Dahlia. From an early age, she showed supernatural capabilities – telekinesis, astral projection, some sort of telepathy…and apparently, the ability to kill someone just by wishing for it. I don't wanna know how she found out about that._

_Anyway, Dahlia got the idea that Alessa would be the perfect person to – get this – BIRTH the Order's god, thereby ushering in paradise. So Alessa was forced through a ritual of sorts, so that the god would be implanted in her._

_One of the most disturbing things about this Order's 'god' is that they seem to believe that it should be born out of pain and hatred. They seem to think that a god who understands those emotions would be more likely to bring about paradise that a god born peacefully. What bizarre logic…makes me wonder what kind of god it actually is._

_Whatever this 'god' was, Alessa's powers got supercharged. The entire town was cut off from the rest of the world by a 'demon fog' and everyone in the Order was slaughtered. Killed by monsters – I thought rogue Pokemon at first, but the descriptions don't match anything on record. Faceless children with knives, dogs with heads cut in half, creatures with straightjackets made of their own skin, colossal mutated insects, and more. I've seen some of these creatures in my dreams, and I can safety state these are not pocket monsters._

_One of the Order members, some sort of psychiatrist, claimed that these creatures were physical manifestations of Alessa's nightmares and twisted memories. One of the examples he gave was the origin of 'the grey children', small faceless demons carrying knives. Wrote that they were representative of the bullies Alessa faced in school. There were flying monsters as well, apparently based off her favourite fairy tales._

_The official records get strange after that…some say Alessa died, others say she lived in a new body with a new family until returning to Silent Hill, some say both in the same paragraph. Whatever the case, the town was officially cursed. Quarantined under the pretence of a plague, most people staying away simply because of the rumours. I wonder if Kal heard those rumours at some point._

_Silent Hill bred fear and madness even without it's 'Empress'. In fact, one of the strangest incidents I've heard about happened after Alessa's 'death'. A man named James Sunderland came here, looking for his wife. His wife, Mary, was dead. He had killed her – a mercy kill, I've read. Wife was suffering from an incurable disease, and wanted to go. Not certain I agree, but it's presumptuous to judge without experiencing it myself._

_He was guilty about the incident, even though apparently he was never charged. From what I've read, he wanted to be punished for his sins. So when he came back to the town it took the form of some sort of purgatory, where he could be punished for his sins. The creatures took of the form of his guilt of sins – faceless nurses representing the hospitalization, 4-legged mannequin monsters symbolizing his libido. And a creature only referred to as 'Pyramid Head'._

_From the description, I couldn't help but wonder if this Pyramid Head was just a man in a helmet. Most of what I've read is just speculation, but Pyramid Head seems to be based on the town's executioners, with the helmet and the huge blade. I even read a document that claimed that this helmeted man was actually the incarnation of one of Silent Hill's lesser gods, a god of punishment and justice._

_Whatever the case, this incarnation was made to punish him for his sins. How it did it was a little unorthodox, but very effective. Creating an idealized version of his wife for James to befriend and protect, Pyramid Head proceeded to kill her, several times, right in front of James' eyes. After James felt he had suffered enough and got over his guilt, Pyramid Head apparently killed himself – or did he? There were documents from the site under the new stadium that say he's immortal, and later tormented a man named Adam Shepherd almost a decade later. I'd hate to think that monster is still around town._

_There's more of this kind of stuff…a serial killer named Walter Sullivan being raised here, ghosts of a boating accident tormenting a group of college kids, a convict being pursued here, etc. All until the entire town was destroyed in a huge fire, leaving almost nothing standing. Must've been at least centuries ago. And so eventually everybody just forgot about the town, the records began collecting dust and Silent Hill basically stopped existing...until Kal and the founders came across this land and decided it would be good to build a town there. And here we are now._

_It's fascinating stuff, a gripping story. But it defiantly won't help tourism in Kalville…although now I'm started to wonder if this town shouldn't be evacuated. Then again, what do I have? Speculation, documents that might've been forged for shock value, and lots of nightmares. I suppose I'll deal with it tomorrow_.

Ash sat down heavily on a desk in the basement, away from everybody. He needed some time to think.

Markus' information answered a lot of questions and confirmed plenty of suspicions. Alessa was the one behind it all…the fog, the creatures, the madness, everything. She was working with Pyramid Head to take over the town, making it her own once again. It was her! It was all her! She was responsible! The mere thought of the girl made Ash clench his fists in rage. The next time he saw her…

But that was the problem. As informative as Markus' notes had been, they didn't give any clues to the location of Satos, his friends or Alessa. It was all just ancient history, no places to go, no leads to follow.

Ash sighed heavily. Once again, he had struck a dead end. He was so sick of hitting dead ends! He wanted this to be over. He wanted to rescue Satos, Max, Pikachu and the others. Hell, he wanted to rescue everyone from this psychotic town! But what could he do? Where could he go? Why –

_BRRRIRIRIRIRRIIIIIING!_

The shock of the sudden noise made Ash fall off the desk with a shriek. The boy landed on his bandaged back, much to his discomfort.

B_RRRIRIRIRIRRIIIIIIIIING_

Ash got up to his feet and looked around the small room, trying to find the origin of the ringing phone.

_BRRRRIRIRIRIRIRIRIIIIIIG_

He quickly found it. Tucked away in a nearby locker was some sort of red phone, likely used by the hospital to respond to emergency calls. The small thing kept ringing loud enough to force Ash to cover his ears.

_BRRRRIIRIRIRIRIRIRIIIING!_

Ash ripped the phone away from it's holding place. "Hello?"

A powerful, threatening voice responded. **_"The evil king, using guile and trickery, tried to take the empress' crown from her."_** It was the same voice from the radio.

"What?" Ash snapped.

**_"The king intended to use the empress to take over the world. He took the princess captive and stole her crown, but the empress had removed the most important jewel from it. Escaping from the evil king, the empress confided in the executioner, and together they came up with a plan." _**

"Is this a joke?" Ash suddenly noticed something that made him gasp. The phone wasn't connected…to anything.

The voice on the other end of the line was silent for a second, but soon responded. "**_Oh no, boy. This is no joke. It never was."_**

Ash shook off his fear, and tried to sound strong. "I should just hang up right now, you creep…

"**_You certain you want to do that, boy? What would you accomplish? Nothing is to be gained from floundering about at random. Your…father and friends agree on that."_**

"WHAT? If you know where they are, tell me, dammit!" Ash shouted into the phone.

_**"I cannot tell you that. Not yet. There's things you must know, things you must see, things you must do before you're allowed to leave."**_

"STOP IT! Just…tell me!" Ash unclenched his teeth with some effort. "Wait, why should I listen to you…whoever you are? Who are you? Never mind, I don't care! If you're not going to tell me…"

The voice laughed, a noise that sent a winter's worth of ice down Ash's back. "**_Perhaps it would be better if you heard it from HER?" _**

Ash blinked. "Her?"

"**_Alessa. The empress of Silent Hill. I could tell you where she is. Do you want to know?"_**

Bold, reckless Ash suddenly found his throat dry, unable to speak. All he could do was numbly nod.

**_"Good boy. Now listen carefully…" _**


	26. Chapter 25

Misty's leg had been properly bandaged, and the doctor had remarked on how she was very lucky it hadn't been infected. Brock had winced at that, interpreting it as an insult to his bandage job. But right now, Misty didn't care about who was better at applying first aid. Ash had walked into a secluded part of the hospital basement, and the way things were going, Misty didn't want to lose sight of her friend.

Misty steadily limped in the direction she had seen Ash go, walking past babbling patients and their fearful Pokemon. They didn't notice her go past, too shellshocked to notice anything at all. A few were clutching their hands and whimpering to their mothers. Others had their eyes shut tight, hopefully asleep. Many were staring out into space with horrified expressions, images of the creatures burned into their visions.

Slowly but steadily Misty made her way to the office Ash had locked himself into after reading Kalville's past. Silent Hill's past. The document Markus had made had answered a lot of questions, but everyone felt they weren't the ones Ash needed. Or May, for that matter…

Misty distinctly heard Ash talking to someone in the room. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could tell he was rather excited and scared at the same time. He stopped talking suddenly. The girl was about to knock when the door suddenly burst open. Ash nearly ran into Misty before catching himself in time. The girl nearly toppled backward from the surprise, but managed to straighten herself quickly.

"Misty?"

"Ash? Ash, what's the hurry?"

Ash looked very nervous, eyes darting about everywhere. "Um…um…I need to use the washroom." Ash quickly moved down one of the corridors.

"Ash, it's that way." Misty pointed in the opposite direction that he was going down.

"Oh, right. Hehheh." The boy bashfully turned around and started walking the other way. His eyes kept moving to Misty, as if waiting for her to turn around.

Misty eyed her friend with some suspicion. "Ash, what's going on?"

"N-nothing." Ash replied quickly.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah…"

"Who were you talking to?"

Ash froze up at that question. "Nuh-nobody…"

Misty glanced into the room and saw a discarded telephone on the floor. "Ash, stop it. This isn't the time for secrets, what's going on?"

Ash shivered slightly. He couldn't lie to his friend. "It's…it's just…" he babbled, backing away and trying to escape.

Misty cut him off angrily. "Just WHAT? Ash, tell me what is going on right now or I'll – "

"I know where Alessa is." The boy gasped out.

Misty's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped numbly.

"The guy on the phone…same guy from the radio…gave me an address…"

Misty glowered at Ash. "And you were gonna sneak off? You were actually going to leave us in here while you go out into the monster-infested streets to find a psychopathic reality-warper who can kill you with just a thought?"

Ash had no answer, and hung his head down in shame.

"Unbelievable. You iare/i insane. What'll happen to us if you die? What about your mother? Have you thought about her? We've barely survived the last few days, we're finally in something resembling a safe place, and now you want to go back out? What do you think you can do?"

Ash looked Misty straight in the eye. "I don't know Misty. I guess I figured maybe I could actually confront the person responsible instead of just sitting here, hiding in the basement, waiting for food and supplies to run out because we're too afraid to go out and look for an escape or a solution or SOMETHING!" Ash snapped.

This time Misty had no answer.

Ash sighed into his hand. "Do you have any better ideas? Because believe me, I'd love to stay here where it's safe and…"

"No. You're not sitting here."

Misty and Ash turned to the sound of the new voice. May had escaped her doctor's eye and had limped into the conversation, with Jessie and Brock following her. Brock was trying to hold her back and vainly convince her to get some rest.

The glowering girl pointed at Ash, her finger quivering with pure anger. "You got us into this. You are going out there, and if come back without my brother I'll kill you myself, GOT IT?"

"May…"

"I got it." Ash answered her.

"Good!" May snapped, finally allowing Brock to drag her back to her cot for some much-needed rest.

Nobody moved or spoke for a minute. Jessie and Misty looked at Ash, waiting to see what he would do. Would he really go back into the monster-infested streets? To meet with a deadly girl who could kill him then and there? To save his friends and father?

Ash took a deep breath and began walking to the stairs.

"Ohhhhh no." Misty stopped him.

"What? Misty, I gotta..."

"I know. You're not going alone."

Ash blinked. She was still following him? He couldn't believe that she would risk her life to help him. Then again, he shouldn't be surprised. This was hardly the first time she had followed him into a dangerous situation. "Thanks Misty..." Ash managed to sigh. "You're the best."

Misty just shrugged in response, smiling slightly.

Jessie suddenly pushed past both of them. "I'll drive." She said in her usual forceful, commanding tone.

Ash was about to protest, but a look from Misty told him not to argue. The boy sighed, and joined the two women leaving the hospital. With any luck, he would return with Pikachu, Satos, Max and James.

He prayed.

* * *

"Gotten quite all of a sudden." Jessie remarked, glancing out the window of the ambulance. "I hate it."

Ash had to agree. The streets of Kalville were almost empty; nothing but a few wrecked cars and the occasional prowling creature, growling hoarsely at them but never chasing them. It was as if they didn't care anymore. Ash shared that sentiment.

Misty drummed her fingers against the ambulance cot impatiently. Soon, they would confront the person responsible for this nightmare directly. With any luck, they could find their captured friends and family, find some means of escape and get everyone out of this hellhole. When they arrived. "Can't you go any faster, Jessie?"

"Yeah, and run into a building or something in this fog? I'd like to rescue my partner while I'm still in one piece, thank you." Jessie snapped back before returning her attention to the road ahead.

Ash glanced at the written directions the voice on the phone had given him. "Turn left at Bachmann Road. Then keep going straight until you hit the woods. The emp...Alessa's house is the first building you see in the forest." He recited.

"Ok, keep your eyes open. I wish this fog would let up a little more...I can barely see the road signs." Jessie replied simply. There was a silence for a few minutes, Ash and Jessie watching for the sign to Bachmann road.

"Hey Jessie?"

"What?" the woman replied in a sullen tone.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Jessie glanced up at the right moment. "Bachmann road. We're off to see the Empress."

Driving through the woods towards Alessa's secluded house, everyone in the vehicle felt a sense of impending danger.

It wasn't just the fact that they were coming to the home of likely the most dangerous adversary they had ever encountered. They couldn't hear any normal sounds od the forest; there were no birds singing, no bugs buzzing, or even the rustle of the wind.

Every so often there would be an audible crash or growl…the monsters were in the woods. Ash dreaded to think that they could escape the town and go out into the world. Worse, the creatures hiding in the woods seemed to be keeping pace with the ambulance. Were they being followed?

Or worse, were the creatures going to meet them there?

Ash saw the house first.

If it had been any other situation, Alessa Gillespie's home would've been quite nice. A large cabin in the woods, built for someone who wanted privacy and a nice view of the town. It was at least three stories high, and likely held a full kitchen and living room. Ash figured it was a Kalville vacation home Alessa had bought after she had been resurrected.

But now, it looked intimidating. The windows seemed to be glaring down at the puny mortals who thought they could face the empress of Silent Hill. Several Shuppets were hovering around the building, feeding off the negative vibes of the house and it's occupants. The paint had been ruined by the thick fog, peeling off in several places. What hadn't been dampened had been torn at by angry claws.

Just like the hospital, multiple corpses of the monsters were lying around the building, ruining the appearance of a once picturesque lawn. Misty was a little puzzled. it looked as though they had been attacking the building...one of the cat-creatures still had it's claws embedded in the wall. But wasn't Alessa controlling them? Why would they go after her?

"You stay in the car." Ash told Jessie as he and Misty began walking up to the home. "If things go bad, we'll need a quick getaway."

"Alrighty then, whatever you say, sir. Chauffer Jessie will be waiting to pick up you and your date." Jessie tried to add as much sarcasm to her voice as she could, but the truth was she was very glad she didn't have to go inside.

Misty turned to Ash. "You don't think she'll drive off?"

"Not without knowing where James is."

"Yeah…" Jessie sighed, hoping the children didn't hear.

Ash stared up the walkway to the front door, or what was left of it. It had been torn off it's hinges and thrown aside, smashed to splinters on the lawn. There was an inky blackness through the doorway. Not the most encouraging sight.

Music was emanating from the house. A beautiful piano piece. Somebody was home. A voice quietly singing confirmed it. Alessa's voice, eerily soft and seemingly soothing.

_You lie, silent there before me._

_Your tears, they mean nothing to me._

_The wind, howling at the window,_

_The love you never gave_

_I give to you._

Ash turned to Misty with a nervous look on his face. Her face was just as scared, if not even more so. They almost didn't go forward. But the thought of what was at stake spurred them on. Taking a deep breath and clenching each other's hands, they stepped through the threshold.

Light filtered in from the windows and several holes in the walls. The room just past the front door was small, with little more than a closet for guests to hang their coats in. Another door, battered but still on it's hinges, led into the rest of the house. It seemed that they would have to work up the courage to go through another ominous doorway.

_You really don't deserve it_

_But now, there's nothing you can do._

_So sleep…in your only memory_

_Of me, my dearest mother…_

Taking another deep breath, Ash opened the second door…

Right to a sight that made Misty shriek.

What used to be a well-furnished living room was now crawling with insects. There were hundreds of them, from spiders to millipedes to ants and even a few butterflies. Multiple broken terrariums explained their presence in the house, and the corpse of a four-armed monster explained how they got loose. That corpse was literally being devoured by some of the larger insects with fangs.

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes._

_It was always you that I despised._

_I don't feel enough for you to cry_

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes._

Almost immediately, Misty ducked into the closet, babbling hysterically. "Bugs. She just HAD to be crazy about bugs!"

Ash groaned. All that had happened, and she was terrified of a bug collection? "Misty, this isn't the time for this! We gotta get through that…"

"I – I – I – I can't! Did you see some of those things? Some of them were bigger than my foot!" Misty babbled.

"Misty, close your eyes. I'll get you through…"

"No…no, I'll drag you back. Just go, just go!"

"What? Are you kidding? You followed me here and now you're asking me to –"

"Just GO! I'll be fine…" Misty sighed into her hand. "I…I'm sorry. You need to go to her. Just go, don't worry about me. You'll be ok. I'll be okay."

_ So insignificant, sleeping dormant deep inside of me_

_Are you hiding away lost, inside the sewers?_

_Maybe flying high, in the clouds?_

_Perhaps you're happy without me…_

"Misty…" Ash sighed in resignation, and braced himself to face Alessa alone. "If you hear me scream 'Run', run. Don't look back."

"But Ash…"

Ash shook his head. "Just…just stay there until you hear from me."

"Ok." Misty gulped.

Ash had just turned back to the doorway when Misty made a noise.

"Ash?"

"What?"

"Good luck."

Ash smiled that smile of his, for the first time in a long time. "Thanks."

After Ash had walked out of the closet, Misty shut the door for safety. Taking an even deeper breath than before, Ash stepped into the insect-infested living room.

_So many seeds have been sown out of fear_

_And who could have sprawn up so blessedly?_

The music was coming from the next floor up. Ash could see a staircase that would take him to Alessa.

The chittering creatures never acknowledged his entrance. They were too busy feasting on the dead monster on the floor. It seemed like a lot of meat.

Something bothered Ash, though. That thing was huge...it would've been impossible for these insects to topple it. Not the mention the creatures outside…what was killing them?

Ash promptly had that question answered as several of the faceless nurses suddenly jumped from the ceiling, carrying knives, syringes, guns, and katanas, twitching madly as they came closer. Ash was quickly regretting coming here and was about to yell at Misty to run…

When Alessa smashed her fist onto the piano keys, creating a very jarring note that made Ash cringe, the insects scatter and the nurses stop in their tracks. "LET HIM IN!" she bellowed in a terrifying voice.

At their empress' command, the nurses cleared Ash's path to the staircase. Several of them leapt up to the ceiling, crawling into the shadows like spiders. Others just stood still, weapons at the ready, watching for Ash's next move.

The boy didn't move for a few seconds, thinking his next step could very well be his last. But he had to confront Alessa…but she could kill him…but his friends and father…

"Get up here, Ash. We need to talk." Alessa remarked from upstairs before starting her piano again.

Doing everything in his power to keep himself from shaking, Ash slowly stepped forward. Images of Satos, Max and Pikachu flashed through his head at every step. He had to help them. And if that meant facing off against this psychopathic girl…

Then that was what he would do.

_If I had died, I would never felt sad at all._

_You will not hear me say 'I'm sorry'_

_Where is the light?_

_Wonder if it's weeping somewhere?"_

The faceless nurses 'watching' his every step, Ash slowly walked up to confront the Empress of Silent Hill.

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes._

_Goodbye._

_It was always you that I despised._

_I don't feel enough for you to cry._

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes._

_Goodbye._


	27. Chapter 26

Ash glanced at the paintings on the wall as he made his way to the floor where Alessa was waiting. He recognized a few of them… 'The Remains of Judgement' and the picture of the woman with the baby, both copies of the paintings from the antique shop. The rest were unfamiliar; a weathered photograph of a toy soldier facing a spider, several childish doodles of horrific monstrosities, and a sepia picture of a steamboat on Silent Hill's lake.

Every step Ash took up the staircase was slow and tense. What was he doing? Waiting for him was the most dangerous girl in the world. But he couldn't turn back. Every time the thought of a hasty retreat crossed his mind, he dispelled it with thoughts of Pikachu, Max and Satos. So, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Ash took another step up the stairs.

Soon, he saw her. Alessa had her back turned to the boy bravely surmounting the stairs, her hands lightly tapping the piano keys. She was wearing that blue schoolgirl dress, and had her hair done up in a small ponytail Ash hadn't noticed before. Sitting on the piano beside her was some sort of pink rabbit doll. The huge eyes of the rabbit stared right at Ash, sending a shiver down his spine.

She only acknowledged his presence when Ash was standing at the top of the stairs. "Hello, Ash. Good to see you're still alive."

The casual tone of her remark nearly made Ash snap with rage. However, with some effort, he maintained his composure. "_Alessa._"

The girl half-smiled. "I can hear the hatred in your voice. I take it then you looked at the USB?"

Ash nodded, not taking his furious eyes off Alessa. "You wanted to talk. Where's my father?"

"Oh, you mean Satos? He's alive. So are your friends." Alessa still hadn't turned around. "It's remarkable how calm you are. Most people would've gone completely mad by now."

"Where are they?" Ash growled, trying to resist the urge to wrap his hands around the girl's throat.

"Of course, I shouldn't be surprised. You're quite used to a world of monsters, aren't you? It's your life."

Ash was starting to shake with anger, losing any semblance of patience he had with her callous attitude and roundabout answers. "What are you talking about? I asked you..."

Alessa's voice took on a mocking tone in Ash's ears. "Ash, think about it. How much difference is there between what you know and what is happening out there? Remember what I told you in the restaurant?"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Ash finally snapped. "**WHERES – MY – FATHER?**" Ash suddenly remembered who he was talking to and regretted yelling. All she would have to do is summon her nurses downstairs to kill him then and there...the last thing he wanted to do was get her angry.

"I heard you." Alessa responded, not a trace of surprise or nervousness in her voice. "You really are very single-minded, aren't you? What I've read about you is quite true."

"What?"

"After our meeting I did a little research. Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Normal Pokemon trainer. Nothing special...except for always being in the right place and right time regarding..." Alessa paused, searching for the right word. "...important events. And present at the arrest of several significant criminals."

"I told you that already." Ash tried hard to keep his voice calm. If Alessa wanted to prolong this conversation, he'd play along for as long as it took. Until she finally spilled the location of Satos and the others.

"Yes, you mentioned them in the restaurant. Butch and Cassidy. Vicious. The Phantom. All major criminals that you somehow managed to defeat within a day of encountering them." Alessa turned slightly, allowed Ash to see the left side of her face. She was smiling very slightly. "You meet them, you see them and you devote all your energy to bringing them to justice. How very noble."

"Yep." Ash clenched his fists and hoped he looked more intimidating then he felt. "Just like I'll do with you."

Alessa let out a small laugh. "Oh, really?"

"You're going to pay for all this, _Empress_. The deaths, the madness, the monsters…"

Alessa held up her hand, stopping Ash mid-sentence. "Begging your pardon – and while I don't deny I deserve proper justice – but what makes you think that I'm the one responsible for what's happening outside right now? The only creatures that answer to me right now are the Nurses."

"_What_?" Ash was exasperated. "Are you joking? I read Markus' history, I know what happened in Silent Hill, and I _saw_ you kill those cultists that brought you back to life with your powers…!"

"Powers that Dakos was using yesterday. Don't tell you've forgotten that."

Ash blinked. Dakos? He had forgotten about him in all the…but it didn't matter. "No. He's not doing this."

"What makes you so certain?" Alessa had picked up her rabbit doll and squishing it like a stress ball.

"A…friend of mine saw some of the monsters attacking his building. They drove him inside."

"And what does that prove?" Alessa seemed to be taking out her hidden stress at the doll.

"If he was controlling them, they wouldn't attack him!"

Alessa shook her head, relaxing her grip. "That's not how this town works. But if that is the case, why did those creatures attack my home? You saw what they did to my terrariums. If _I_ was controlling them, would they attack me?"

Ash groaned. He had to admit that made sense, but she could have easily summoned the creatures to tear up her house to make her look innocent. Still, he held his tongue, seeing Alessa had more to say. His fingers were almost crushed within his fists, as they clenched tighter and tighter as time went on.

"Creatures in Silent Hill aren't controlled. They're influenced. Influenced by the mental state of…whoever wears the crown jewel."

Ash blinked. _"What?"_ What was she talking about? And why was he listening? He was wasting time here when Satos, Max and Pikachu were locked in some dungeon somewhere, terrified and…

"You'll understand soon enough. As I said, these monsters respond to emotions, mentality, and fears. James Sunderland, for example. The creatures created were based on his libido, his wife's hospitality, and most importantly, his ideal version of…"

"I DON'T CARE!" Ash screamed. "I know who you are! I know what you've done! Do you honestly expect me to believe that all of this ISN'T because of you?"

Alessa let out a heavy sigh, dropping the rabbit doll back onto the piano. "No, I suppose not."

"All I want is my father." The words tumbled out of Ash's mouth before he could stop them. "You can keep your town, your monsters, your stinking kingdom! Just…just **GIVE ME MY FATHER, YOU PSYCHO**!" Tears sprung in Ash's eyes. "Puh-please. I'm sick of all this, just…"

Ash wondered if that look of sadness and pity on Alessa's face wasn't just another mask. Eventually the girl took a deep breath and tapped the keyboard one more time.

"They're under the stadium." She finally said.

"What?" Ash was listening now.

"Under the battle stadium. Behind a door in the basement. I'm not certain what it is exactly…an underground temple or just a sewage system that somehow survived the fire. It's the most secure location in Silent …Kalville. Satos and your friends are there."

That was what Ash wanted to hear. He was about to run back down the stairs when something stopped him. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't." Alessa sighed. "You have no reason to believe a word I say, do you? But what else are you going to do? You'll find what you're looking for, but things aren't you think they are."

"What are you talking about?"

Alessa turned to face Ash, and the boy gasped. Her right eye was…gone. There was nothing but a red-black pit, blood flowing down her cheek like tears. Her expression was solemn, her mouth showing no emotion and her remaining eye piercing his soul. It was a face he would never forget.

"You'll see."

That was all Ash heard before he bolted down the stairs, away from Alessa Gillespie, never looking back. The Empress of Silent Hill watched the boy leave with a solemn expression.

After coaxing Misty out of the closet and returning to the ambulance, Ash found himself drumming his fingers impatiently as the vehicle gradually left the woods behind and rode towards the stadium. In his mind, Jessie was going at a snail's pace. Soon, this nightmare would be over. He'd rescue his father and friends and get out of this hellhole. It could not happen soon enough for him.

"Behind a door in the basement? Is that what she said?" Misty abruptly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah…yeah. That's what she told me. Took her long enough." Ash answered.

"What else did she say?"

"She tried to tell me that she wasn't the one responsible for all this. That Dakos is somehow the real villain." Ash remarked sullenly.

"Really?"

"Well, he does have her telekinesis. You saw what he did to the police. But he's not commanding those creatures…"

"No. She is. She's using them to take the town back. And after we're done here, she can have it." Ash sighed. "For now. The main thing is to find dad and get everybody out of here."

Misty thought for a moment. "But if she's telling the truth...about Dakos...then what?"

Ash didn't have an answer.

Back at Alessa's house, the girl in question was speaking into a phone receiver, pacing back and forth.

"Okay, you were right. He wouldn't listen to me. Only thing he would hear was the location of his friends. I've sent him there right now... He should be arriving soon."

Alessa's eyes went wide. "What? When did he...? He did _what_? That's a problem...How long has that kid been at the stadium? This isn't good...should I send some of my Nurses there? What? What are you...?"

She didn't get an answer. Alessa groaned, hanging up the phone. From what she had just heard, there were more nasty surprises waiting for Ash at the stadium...


	28. Chapter 27

The Kalville battle dome was dead. The neon signs that once advertised it's entertainment possibilities had either shorted out or been ripped apart by savage claws. The once-spotless exterior was marred with blood and scratches. Misty sighed at the irony that this was once a place where children could enjoy friendly Pokemon battles, and now this place was a casualty of an entirely different sort of battle. If you could even call it a battle.

Ash looked up at the place. This was the building that he had saw the day he arrived here. When he had met 'Alyx' for the first time. Thinking about that monster made Ash's teeth grind. When all this was over, he was gonna return with an army and make Alessa rue the day she…

No. Not yet. First he had to find Satos and the others. And if Alessa was to be believed, they were in here somewhere.

Ash looked at Jessie and Misty. Both of them were as nervous as he was, but neither of them was backing down. Not now. There was too much at stake to stop here. They all knew it.

"Let's go." There was nothing more to say. The three of them stepped towards the stadium entrance. The doors opening to the battle dome were broken, but they still allowed the trainers inside.

As soon as the doors opened, Ash heard a small sibilant voice in the darkness.

_"Be careful, Daddy."_

Ash gulped and stepped inside with the others.

* * *

For the past hour, Max had been hearing a horrible ruckus above him. It sounded like a war zone was right above the room where he was being kept. Covering his ears with the pillow couldn't block out the unearthly shrieks and roars coming from the roof. Amid the noise he could make out someone shouting orders like a crazy general. It wasn't the voice of the guard, however.

The guard's voice... Max had overheard the guard speaking with someone on a phone. He couldn't catch the words, but hearing him talk made Max realize the identity of the voice on the radio. Hearing it sent powerful shivers down his spine.

James and Pikachu were on edge themselves. Pikachu kept looking up at the ceiling, and Max didn't want to know what it was thinking. James had long ago clamped his eyes shut and covered his ears to block out the screaming. Satos…Max still couldn't see him clearly. He was still alive and struggling, but Max got the impression that he was…upside down.

_Skreeeeeek skreeeeeek SKREEEEEEK_

The guard was back! Max tried to make himself as small as possible as the guard lumbered past him. The scared little boy clamped his eyes and ears shut as that horrible screeching went past. Unfortunately, he couldn't block out the guard's voice.

**"He's here." **

* * *

On seeing the destruction wreaked upon the entrance to the battle dome, Ash wondered about how he had barely noticed how the place looked when he had battled there. He hadn't paid any real attention to the room - or the town, come to think of it - taking it for granted as he awaited his next fight. Looking at it now, it was hard to believe that this was a place for trainers.

The reception counter was shredded. The posters on the walls, election and otherwise, were reduced to charred scraps. The walls themselves had been torn apart, leaving the wooden beams and backing visible. More signs of an attack by the abominations of the town. Which begged the question…where were the creatures? They had clearly made their way inside, so why weren't they waiting to attack them?

That question was quickly answered by loud roaring from within. The three trainers jumped at the noise, coming from where the battles would be held in a quieter time. Savage screams and shrieks echoed through the empty corridors of the stadium, making Jessie and Misty seriously consider turning around.

Ash clenched his fists and stepped onward, walking into the stadium. Glancing at each other briefly, the two girls followed.

The first thing they saw past the reception counter was the dead body of a Vaporeon. The poor creature had been hacked apart by ferocious blades and laid to rest in a puddle of it's own blood. Whoever or whatever killed it had the audacity to write the letters **K O** above the corpse, signing their work with the Pokemon's blood. Jessie tried to swallow back the rising bile while Misty and Ash tried to avert their eyes.

It only got worse further on. Just before the battlefield itself was a sort of locker room, where the trainers would prepare themselves and their Pokemon before a match. Scattered around the room were dead bodies. There were regular Pokemon, lying in their drying blood with expressions of absolute horror on their dead faces. There were also several of the monsters, cut to pieces without a drop of blood. It was hard to tell some of them apart. Scrawled in blood around the room were the words **'LOSER! KO! DEFEAT! WHITEOUT!'**

Jessie couldn't hold back the bile anymore, and threw up in a convenient garbage can. Misty had to clamp her eyes shut and grab onto a shaking Ash.

"Misty…!"

"Just…just tell me when we're outta here! Please…"

Ash swallowed what was building up in his throat and led the girl through the bloody locker room. Jessie followed him slowly, having too much pride to do the same as Misty. They often had to step over the dead bodies, and their shoes were soaked in the blood very quickly. And the smell…Jessie, Misty and Ash had to cover their noses to make it through the room without fainting.

All while the noises of horrific battle raged on ahead of them.

Of course Ash wished he could've just run away. But his father and friends were counting on him. He had to do this. For Satos. For Pikachu. For Max. Thinking about them spurred him on, and soon he was out of the locker room.

"Misty? We're out."

Misty gradually opened her eyes. "Thanks…" she whispered weakly.

"Don't thank him yet." Jessie remarked, staring out with wide eyes. "We ain't out of trouble."

The two children followed her gaze and saw what she meant.

The battlefield was the site of a savage battle between two of the Silent Hill monsters. One was a four-armed creature, the same thing that attacked them near the antique shop. The other one was something new. A black four-legged spider creature with all it's legs replaced with long, scythe-like blades. Two more appendages had been fused to it's back, swinging the deadly blades in the air. Eight eyes stared at it's opponent while bloodied mandibles clacked together in anticipation of meat. A painful metal apparatus had been attached to it's head with bolts and screws.

The four-armed monster took a swing at the spider with one of it's club like arms. The abomination dodged easily before leaping onto the muscled creature, it's scythes impaling the huge monster. The two extra blades hacked at the enemy's flesh, cutting it to pieces just like the corpses from the locker room.

"FINISH HIM!" A voice suddenly roared out.

The creature obeyed the order, and lopped off the four-armed monster's head with one swipe. The headless monster slowly tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. The spider monster removed his blades from the corpse and clacked them together in victory.

"YES! I am STILL the CHAMP here!" The crazed voice yelled again. The group searched for the source of that voice.

On one of the trainer platforms was a boy only a little older than Ash and Misty. He was fat and wearing clothes that were too small for him. His striped collar shirt and shorts were splattered with blood. His baseball cap loomed over messy blonde hair, insane eyes and a dark smile.

The crazed boy held up a gold trophy splattered with blood. "The CHAMP! Oh yeah! Ain't that right, Ariados?"

_Ariados?_ Ash and the others looked at the spider creature. This creature was definitely NOT an Ariados…actually, now that they looked at it, there was a resemblance. A very dark, twisted resemblance.

The boy pressed a button on a remote control, causing the apparatus on the twisted Ariados' head to spark. It cried out in pain as volts coursed through it's head. So that was how the kid could control this beast.

Suddenly the boy noticed the three people staring at him with horrified eyes. "Finally! Some actual trainers! I was getting bored of level-grinding with all these wild ones."

Misty's face warped into a ferocious glare. "YOU? You killed all those Pokemon?"

"Oh yeah. I'm the champion here, I need to train my Ariados. And what better way to train my favourite Pokemon? The name's Ed, but call me Champ!"

Jessie stepped forward, her teeth grinding. "You sick little…"

Ed simply smirked and wagged his finger. "Ah-ah-ahhhh! That's now way to talk to the winner of Kalville's big competition! Is it, Ariados?"

Another shock from the apparatus forced the spider creature to roar in agreement.

"So," Ed laughed. "Up for a battle?"

Ash thought about it for a second before shaking his head clear. "No! We got to get to the basement. We don't have time for this!"

Ed's psychotic smile grew wider. "The basement, heh? Well, you'll need this." From a bloody finger Ed dangled a small key ring. Attached was a single small key. "Fished this off the custodian after I beat him. You'll need it to get downstairs."

Ash's eyes went wide. "Give it to me, my father's down there!"

Ed shook his head in laughter. "Oh no. I don't give things away for free. You're gonna have to beat me for it." Ed glanced down at his enslaved Ariados monster. "One-on-one, just the two of us. It's gonna be great!"

"What?" Ash gasped. He couldn't fight! Even if he wanted to go up against that creature, his Pokemon were still stuck in their Pokeballs. And Pikachu was being held captive in the basement. He couldn't battle this lunatic! But he had the key to the basement…

"You can't do this, Ash!" Misty protested. "You can't fight this maniac! We can break down the door…"

"Don't wanna fight? That's too bad." Ed smirked. "I'll just have Ariados give you a few cuts, how'd you like that, huh?"

Ash tensed. This was not happening! That maniacal kid was threatening him into a battle that he had no way of winning or even fighting. If he got killed here, Satos and the others would rot in Alessa's clutches forever. If her turned around and ran, he would be abandoning his friends. Ash could not believe that he had come all this way just to…

"Daddy?"

Ash whirled around to the sound of the voice. One of the skull-headed creatures from the amusement park was clambering over the audience railing, knife clutched in hand. The tiny monster ran right up to Ash, looking him straight in the eye.

"Daddy, I can help!"

Ash was stuck for a response. He just stood slack-jawed and wide-eyed for a second, stunned by what was happening. He looked at Misty, who was vigorously shaking her head _nononononono_. Jessie had nothing to suggest herself. This was insane. This was completely, utterly, unbelievably…

An image of Satos flashed in front of his eyes.

Turning to face the psychotic self-proclaimed 'champ' with a steely determination in his eyes, Ash spoke his response.

"Fine. Let's battle."


	29. Chapter 28

Ash felt like himself for the first time in a long time. He was back in his element, facing another trainer in a Pokemon battle with his friends watching. He smiled inwardly at the excitement and familiarity, which felt so much better than the fear and apprehension he had been feeling these last few days. It was quite refreshing. In the Kalville battle dome, the two boys stared each other down, thinking of what order to give to their Pokemon…

No. Not Pokemon. Ash shook his head clear as reality set in. He was facing off against a homicidal maniac and his deadly abomination to save his father and friends from death. The 'Pokemon' he was commanding was one of the skull-headed creatures that had terrorized the group at the amusement park. The small monster clutched a sharp blade tightly, ready to drive it into flesh to please his 'daddy'. The little creature's eye glanced back at Ash, sending an uncomfortable shiver down the trainer's spine.

"I'll do good, Daddy. I promise."

Ash found himself wishing that promise would be kept.

* * *

"This is so wrong." Was all Misty could gasp out. She and Jessie had moved to the abandoned stands to watch the fight from a safe distance. Both of them were sitting on the edge of their seats, tense not just because of what would happen, but what was at stake.

"So wrong." The girl repeated, shaking her head. She could tell that this was not going to be a civilized battle, like the one she and Ash had in the town square mere days ago. No. This would be a savage fight to the death. Misty hoped that Ash would keep his sanity through this nightmare.

Jessie had to agree. Something else was going on in her mind, as she looked very carefully at the two creatures in the field. Wheels in her head began to spin as she thought of all she had seen in that town...

* * *

"SLASH!"

Ed yelled out his order and woke Ash out of his troubled stupor. The Ariados-monster began to charge towards the skull-headed child, it's blades clacking and ready to kill. The tiny creature just stood there, waiting for an order from it's 'daddy'.

Ash acted fast. "DODGE!"

The skull monster leapt aside just as the spider slashed at it with the blades on it's front legs. The scythes missed completely, and the smaller creature rolled to the side, knife at the ready.

Ash gulped. He could do this. He had to. "Um…Fury Swipes!"

The tiny creature wasted no time. Running up to the spider monster, it swiped it's knife at the blackened flesh. The knife cut deep and the spider cried in pain, but the smaller creature was swiftly knocked aside by the scythed forelegs. Rolling on the ground, the skull-headed child hit the wall of the stadium.

"GUT 'IM!" Ed commanded.

The spider-creature charged towards the smaller monster, the blades on it's back poised and ready to impale.

"Dodge!" Ash commanded.

The knife wielding creature obeyed, rolling out of the way just in time. The spider's inertia prevented it from stopping in time, and it's blades were buried in the stadium wall. The creature tried to get them unstuck.

Ash saw an opportunity. "Slash!"

The knife monster ran up behind the spider monster and gouged into the bloodless flesh with it's knife. The other monster roared in pain, but then managed to free itself and counterattacked. If the skull-headed child had been any slower, it would've been cut in half.

Ed smirked. "Oh, this might be fun after all. All of those wild ones just stood around like idiots."

Ash smiled despite himself. He worked on a strategy to defeat this opponent, using the speed and manoeuvrability of his…

* * *

"Cubone." Jessie remarked out of the blue.

Misty turned to look at the woman. "What?"

Jessie pointed at the knife wielding monster dodging the spider's blades. "That's a _Cubone_."

Misty looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. "_What?_ Are you nuts? That is NOT a Cubone!"

"Well, I didn't mean it IS a Cubone…" Jessie stammered. "I mean…w-well just look at it! Doesn't it look like or remind you of a Cubone?"

Misty still thought Jessie was crazy, but took a closer look at the skull-headed creature. The more she looked at it, the more she saw what Jessie was trying to say. The lizardlike skull, the small body, the knife that substituted for a Cubone's club…

"It's like…some twisted version of Cubone." Jessie explained, a disturbed undertone in her voice.

"Yeah…" Misty thought about all the creatures she had seen. Now that she thought about it, almost all of them were violent reinterpretations of Pokemon. Absol. Cubone. Muk. Machamp. Typhlosion. Scyther. Ariados. "All those creatures…it's like some sicko's idea of Pokemon. A bloody, violent idea."

"Markus' notes said something about the creatures being manifestations of a person's psyche or something like that. Why would they look like nightmare versions of Pokemon?"

"I don't know…" Misty had a nasty feeling that she'd find out soon enough.

* * *

"Ok, enough screwing around! GUT HIM!" Ed shouted, a lot more agitated than he had been before.

The Cubone monster had it's back to the stadium wall, and braced itself for it's 'Father's' next order. The Ariados monster ran towards the knife-wielding monster like a Tauros, it's back blades ready to impale.

Ash had just come up with a strategy. He waited until just the right time to say "DODGE!"

The knife-wielder rolled out of the way just in time. The spider couldn't stop in time and it's blades buried themselves in the wall again. Ed cursed aloud as the spider struggled to drag itself away from the wall.

Ash issued another order without missing a beat. "Now use Cut on one of those top blades! Cut it off!"

Misty blinked. Did Ash just say that?

The skull-headed child was eager to obey. Grabbing one of the 'legs' attached to the spider's back, it began to hack away at the flesh with it's knife. The Ariados monster roared in pain as the Cubone creature cut through the leg.

"Get him off you!" Ed bellowed, a lot less composed then he had been before the fight.

SCHLICKT!

One of the legs on the creature's back was severed clean off.

Roaring in rage, the spider creature loosed it's other back leg and took a swipe at the smaller creature. The skull-headed child ducked just in time and ran away from the reach of the blades. The freed and furious spider monster hissed at the distant adversary. It's back only had one bladed leg and a severed, bloodless stump.

"CHEATER!" Ed roared. "After I'm done with that Cubone, I'll cut you up like a Christmas turkey! SLASH!"

The demonic Ariados charged forward, it's bloodied blades ripping the ground apart. The one blade on it's back swung wildly around, ready to decapitate the smaller creature.

"Daddy…?"

"Wait for it…"

Misty looked at Ash. The look in his eye was one she had seen before, a look of sheer determination. The look he had at every tournament battle. Every inormal/i tournament battle. Was he really viewing this as just another challenge?

The spider monster was almost on top of the dark Cubone. The creature's fanged mouth roared with bloodlust and rage. It raised it's two forelegs, ready to impale the skull-headed child.

"Roll under it!" Ash suddenly yelled.

The twisted Cubone quickly obeyed, rolling right under the spider monster just as it brought it's blades down. Ash's monster ducked between the two back-legs of Ed's monster, coming out right behind it.

"Now cut off that other leg!"

"_What_?" Misty definitely didn't mishear that.

"NO!" Ed screamed. "KILL IT BEFORE IT…"

Too late. The skull-headed creature leapt onto the spider's back and began slicing through the other leg. Soon, with a sickening noise, the other leg fell off and the monstrous Ariados was left with a bare back. The monstrous Cubone still clutched the creature tightly with it's claws.

Ash smirked, seeing victory in his grasp. "Now finish it!"

"Yes Daddy!" The skull-headed child jabbed it's knife into the spider's back, cutting deeper and deeper with every hit. The Ariados monster roared with agony as the knife gouged it's hide painfully.

"Nononononono shake it off shake it off shake it off!" Ed panicked.

The spider monster began to wildly buck and spin, trying to shake off the attacking creature. The creature was able to hold on and continued to stab the monster. 'Ariados' shrieked in pain and desperately tried to force the smaller monster off, but it's legs could not hit the thing on it's back without it losing it's balance.

The skull-headed creature was ready to deliver the final blow for Daddy. It raised the knife above it's head, ready to bring it down…

When the spider monster was able to throw it off. The surprised skull monster rolled away and found that it's knife was no longer with it. "Oh no!" Ash was momentarily scared of losing this fight.

Ed's face was an edifice of rage and hatred. "Now destroy…what?"

The spider monster was teetering unsteadily, not moving with the ferocious speed it used to. Anyone with a good eye could see why. Somehow the 'Cubone's' knife had imbedded itself in the beast's head. The monster stumbled unsteadily before falling to the ground, it's blades clattering uselessly.

It didn't get up. The skull headed monster started dancing like a little kid after winning the softball match. Misty and Jessie nearly got up and cheered until they remembered where they were.

"NOOOOOOO!" Ed yelled. "I CAN'T LOSE! I'M THE CHAMP!"

"YEEES!" Ash pumped his fist in victory. "I WON! I KILLED…wait…" His joyful expression quickly faded as the adrenaline wore off and the reality of what had just happened sunk in.

The skull-headed 'Cubone' monster turned to look at Ash. "Did I do good, Daddy? Did I?" it asked with a hopeful tone.

"Uh…" Ash had no idea how to respond. His mouth had gone completely dry and he felt a chill running down his spine. Did he _enjoy_ what just happened? What was he supposed to do now?

Ed's enraged voice brought him out of his reverie. "You cheating PRICK! I'm the champ! You cheated! You'll never beat me! NEVER!" The chubby boy was running towards the stands on the opposite side.

Ash gave chase, running past the skull-monster and the spider's corpse. "Wait! That key…I need that key!" Misty and Jessie bolted from their seats and started running after Ed as well. The skull-headed child stared at the chase for a moment before darting into the shadows.

"You ain't getting it, you cheater! It's mine! The champ's!" Ed was running up towards the announcers box, going up a lot faster than Ash would've guessed. Ash ran faster. He ineeded/i that key from him.

"Get back here!" Ash roared.

Ed ran into the door to the announcers box before opening it and shutting himself it. With a _click_, the door locked. With Ed and the key inside.

"NO!" Ash snarled, banging his fist on the door. Jessie and Misty then showed up beside him. Ash glared through the glass at the smug psycho dangling the key on his finger.

"You want this, huh? Well, cheaters don't get what they want!" Ed mocked Ash from inside the announcer booth.

Ask Ketchum was ready to smash through the glass and strangle Ed. That key was the one that would get him to his father. That psycho would pay for this…Ash ran into the door again, but the locked door held firm.

"Hah! You want it, come and…"

CLANK rattle rattle rattle

"What?"

That noise came from inside the announcer booth. Ed whirled around to see the metal grating of an air vent rattling on the floor. The air vent that the grate had covered had another of the skull-headed monsters crawling through it.

"Daddy's MAD and you'll be sorry!" it hissed, brandishing it's knife. Another one followed. And another. And another.

Ed realized that he was as good as dead. "HHAAAAAAAAAALP!"

Ash and Jessie tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Dammit!" Ash cursed.

Ed then suddenly ran up to the window. "GET ME OUTTA HERE! PLEEASE!" His voice was filled with terror, and his eyes were wide. Ash wasn't sure if he should feel sorry for him. With the door still locked, he couldn't get in either way.

One of the Cubone monsters leapt onto his back and started hacking with it's knife. Ed squealed in pain and began teetering. Another monster grabbed his leg and gouged his ankle, causing the boy to fall onto the floor. The other little demons were upon him in a heartbeat, stabbing their small knives into the crazed boy's skin. Ed cried and screamed in pain as the creatures cut him to pieces.

All Ash, Misty and Jessie could do was stand outside the booth, listening to the screams slowly die down and stop altogether. There was an eerie silence for a minute, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The lock on the door rattled for a second, as a key was awkwardly turned inside. The booth's door opened to reveal a creature tumbling off another one's shoulder comically. No one laughed, however.

Ed's body had been mangled beyond all semblance of humanity. With all the redness on his shirt, it was difficult to tell what was his own blood. It didn't matter however…he was dead. Very dead. Two of the Cubone monsters were hanging around the corpse, poking it with their knives.

Another skull-headed child walked right up to the stymied Ash. The creature smiled slightly and held up a key ring with a single key.

The key to the basement.

Ash didn't move for a moment. What was he supposed to do now? These monsters had slaughtered a person for him…although Ed's humanity could be called into question…but he was still…what was going on…why was all this happening to him?

Satos.

With fingers shaking and teeth clenched, Ash slowly took the key ring from the creature's bloody hand. Misty and Jessie just stared, not knowing what to do or say.

Glancing at the key, Ash thought about all the insanity he had gone through in this damn town. All the monsters, the deaths, the nightmares. All so he could rescue his father. And now, he was closer than ever to that goal. He would NOT fail.

Ash backed away from the creature, silently telling Jessie and Misty to follow him. They did so. The skull-headed child just looked at Ash with a puzzled expression on it's face.

Soon, the three humans were running. Running towards the back of the stadium, towards the basement, towards their kidnapped friends, towards the end of this nightmare.

They hoped.

* * *

The small creature watched them disappear and let out a sad sigh. Poor Daddy didn't know what he was in for down there.


	30. Chapter 29

Ash didn't stop running for a fraction of a second. The boy bolted down the hallway leading to the basement door like a thunderbolt. Jessie and Misty could barely keep up. The boy ran heedless of the corpses scattered through the halls, stepping in the blood on more than one occasion. He didn't see them. He only saw the doorway. The doorway that led to his captured father and friends.

"Hey, wait up!" Jessie cried.

"Save your breath, Jessie." Misty gasped for breath as she quickly avoided tripping over the murdered custodian. "Ash isn't stopping anytime soon."

He certainly wasn't. Ash ran right into the locked door and swiftly grabbed the key ring from his pocket. His hands shaking with tension, he eventually managed to get the key into the lock and twist. With a small click, the door unlocked.

Ash nearly snapped the door off it's hinges as he entered.

The basement of Kalville Stadium was…a basement. There was honestly nothing remarkable about it, except for a few spare pylons and grid-marking tools scattered on the floor. Ash nearly tripped over several basketballs as he made his way to the other end of the poorly-lit basement.

By the time Jessie and Misty got to the basement door, Ash had already vanished into the back of the cellar. The lighting of the floor meant they couldn't see him in the shadows. They could hear him, however. The boy was yelling in anger and frustration very loudly at the back.

Jessie had the sense to grab a flashlight from the dead custodian's belt before they went into the basement. It made her a little queasy, but at this point a little queasiness was easy to overcome. Turning it on, she was able to illuminate the shadowy walls of the stadium basement.

On the far end of the wall was Ash Ketchum banging on a door in pure rage. The door looked incredibly out of place in the bland basement. It was cast iron, slightly reddened with rust. Instead of a doorknob and lock on the side, there was a sort of wheel mechanism in the centre with rods all around locking the door in place. Ash tried, not for the first time, to turn the wheel with no success.

Ash snarled loudly. He did NOT come all this way, risking the life and sanity of him and his friends to be stopped by a locked door! He would NOT let this stinking door…

Jessie's flashlight illuminated something that got his attention. It was an indentation on the wheel, a circular hole for something. Likely some sort of key. The shape seemed somewhat familiar…

Ash dug into his pockets and took out the pocket picture he had picked up at Markus' house. The one labelled 'Father' with the picture of the blonde man. He looked at it and the impression in the door. It was the same size and shape. Without question, Ash thrust the picture into the hole. A perfect fit, judging by the _KLANK_ that followed.

Ash grabbed the wheel and turned it again. It moved. The rods holding the door to the wall all shifted, unlocking the door. Ash pushed hard and nearly fell into the room behind the door.

The boy picked himself up and started running into the hallway. Misty ran after him almost immediately, not wanting to lose sight of her friend. Jessie lingered behind for a second, taking in the sight of the hall.

It was similar to the tunnel from the antique shop, with reddened metal grating on the floor. The walls were a dark red, not that one could tell what color they had been with the blood splattered over them. Arcane symbols seemed to be scrawled in a few places, the most prominent being a large circle holding three other circles. Jessie couldn't help but wonder why the stadium builders didn't think to look here. Judging by the bone-chilling vibes, they likely decided ignorance was bliss.

Jessie decided not to waste too much time pontificating and ran forward. James was here, and she had to get him.

She eventually caught up with the two children. They had paused at a sort of intersection. There was one iron door straight ahead. Two rusty staircases led to higher doors on both sides.

Ash saw Jessie come up. He pointed to the two higher doors. "You and Misty take a door, I'm going straight ahead!" There was no chance for any argument, Ash had already ran towards the iron door. Misty wasted no time in taking the door on the left, and Jessie went up the staircase to the right.

All three burst into the same room. The room was huge and had high walls with platforms too high to jump from. Fans radiated cold air throughout the room, cooling the red paint/blood caking the area. Iron bars surrounded the two side platforms, apparently to prevent anyone interfering from whatever was going on in the centre or back of the room.

Max, James, and Pikachu were in cages on both sides, and Misty and Jessie worked to unlock the prisons. James and Max were relieved to see their friends arrive to say them, but any happy reunions were deadened by what was at the back of the room.

"DAD!" Ash screamed as he saw Satos. The man was bound upside down in a cage-like apparatus. Satos shifted and tried to call for Ash, but couldn't find his breath. His glasses had fallen onto the floor. And right behind him was…

"NO!"

Pyramid Head shifted his colossal blade, raising the sharp end and pointing it straight at Sato's body. The man in the cage struggled to free himself and failed.

_"NO! PLEASE! DON'T…!"_

Everyone watched, stock still and silent with horror. Nobody could do anything…the metal bars blocked any attempts at attack. Pikachu tried to Thunderbolt, but the bars absorbed the hit before it could reach Pyramid Head.

Ash ran futilely towards the high wall. This was not happening! It can't end like this! I couldn't! All this pain, all this horror, all the deaths, could not amount to this! He did not come all this way to just watch his father…

_"NOOOOOOOOOO!"_

KKSCHUNK

The metal blade erupted through Satos' chest. The man's face froze in an expression of shock and pain. Pyramid Head shifted the blade again before forcibly extracting it from the dead man's body. And then there was silence.

Ash sank to his knees in shock, his head falling numbly. His father had been killed right in front of his eyes. After he had gone through hell to save him. He had endangered himself, his friends, for nothing. All because of this…monster…Pure unbridled rage built up in the boy, threatening to consume him. Everything he knew slipped away to focus on his hatred for this murderer. He raised his eyes to cast a baleful glare at his tormenter.

When he noticed something. He blinked, trying to make sure he wasn't imagining it. "Wh…wait a minute…"

There was no blood.

"I saw you…do this before…th-there should…should be…"

There wasn't a speck of red in Satos' wound or on his corpse at all.

"Should be blood everywhere…Dad…Satos…is…"

No blood.

Ash's featured warped even further into fury. "Just like…"

It all became clear. "Just like the creatures outside. He's not real, just another construct…"

Ash got up to his feet, shaking in absolute rage. "Made to…get me back into this…hellhole…keep me here…fake…construct…"

All that fear. All those deaths. All that insanity. All the danger he had put his friends through. All of it was for nothing. Absolutely. Nothing. This was even worse than how he felt when he thought Satos was dead. Infinitely worse. All the fury and hatred he felt had tripled. It was beginning to darken the entire room. A scratching noise was heard at the doorways behind the group.

"WHY?" He finally roared. He stared up at the colossal Pyramid Head, the murderer, the monster, the creature. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHY AM I HERE! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!** ANSWER ME**!"

There was a silence. Ash continued to glare at the executioner in unbridled rage. The scratching at the door grew louder. Nobody moved, in too much shock from this development.

**"You, boy?"**

That voice made everyone flinch. Pyramid Head's helmet had shifted…did he just talk?

**"You would have me answer to _you_?" **

Everyone shivered in fear. This was the terrifying voice from the radio, the powerful, horrific voice that had taunted them for trying to leave. The voice from the telephone that had called Ash.

Pyramid Head.

The executioner's helmet shifted, as if he was shaking his head in amusement. **"Brave fool. Still, it is time to end this game. Would you like to hear the end of the story, boy?" **

Ash didn't answer, still glowering at the monster above him.

**"The empress knew that without the crown jewel, the evil king would not TRUE power. Unfortunately she could not keep it close to her, as the king's servants were hunting her and would find it. So, they smuggled it into the hands of a peasant boy, who the evil king would not think to look into. It was in time too, for the king recaptured the empress and took what he could find of her power. Assuming he had control, he began to act." **

Ash interrupted. "What does that have to do with anything?"

If the narrator was angry with the interruption, he didn't show it. **"Think about it, boy."**

Ash growled. "Fine." He thought about it. "The executioner, that's…that's YOU, obviously. Alessa's the empress…crown jewel…Dakos is the 'evil king'. The crown jewel…the crown's Alessa's power. The crown jewel is…she said something about that when I…her…power to create those monsters outside. Control…influence them. Alright, so to keep that power out of Dako's hands, she hid her power with someone. Who? Who's the peasant boy?"

Pyramid Head didn't answer.

The scratching at the door became even louder.

Nobody spoke.

Ash's eyes grew very wide. "…no."

A noise could be heard on the other side of the doors. "Daddy…Daddy…Daddy…"

"No." Ash gasped.

No. Not him. Not him not him not him nothimnothimnothim.

No.

"Daaaaadddddyyyyyyy…"

"NO!"

**"Those creatures didn't look familiar to you? Did you really blind yourself to the fact that this is a mirror image of your world?"**

_You're quite used to a world of monsters, aren't you?_

"Nonononononononononono…."

"DADDY!"

**"Your children wait outside to do your bidding and take your fury out on me."**

_ THEY'RE NOT POKEMON! THEY'RE NOT - _

_ All those creatures…like some sicko's idea of Pokemon._

Ash sank to the floor, a horrific realization paralyzing him.

All of this was because of him. It all became clear. In the basement of Markus' house, Alessa had done something to give Ash her power. She wanted to hide it in someone Dakos wouldn't think to investigate before she was recaptured. Him. All these monstrosities were his creations, brought up from his mind and twisted by Silent Hill's bloody vibes. Like wild Pokemon roaming the wilderness.

Everyone else stared at the kneeling boy with wide eyes. They didn't know what to think of this.

"All my fault…" Ash mouthed. "I'm influencing these creatures…"

**"Yes."** Pyramid Head seemed to sigh. **"All that you have known, all you have understood, tainted with the essence of Silent Hill and brought to life by the empress' power. Acting as you would assume they'd act, reacting to your anger and fear. All the way to your idealized version of your father…"** He motioned to the bloodless construct that Ash had hoped was his father. ** "…and…what you feared he'd be."**

Suddenly, Satos began to twitch. Violently. Like no living, natural creature would. His head whipped about like the faceless nurses. His body began to warp as well, becoming less and less human. Everyone stared at the rattling Satos as he transformed.

Pyramid Head turned the wheels on his huge blade, unlocking his spear. **"For what it's worth, I am sorry. None of this was supposed to happen."**

Removing the spear from it's holding place, Pyramid Head tossed it down. The iron rod clattered in front of Ash.

Satos was still mutating.

Pyramid Head turned and began to drag his heavy blade cover away.

"Hey!" Ash cried out in an almost pathetic voice. "Where do you think you're…"

"You worthless, idiotic, pathetic little SHIT!"

Ash whirled about at the sound of 'Satos'' voice. The creature was now ripping itself out of the constraints, revealing hands that had turned into claws.

"Should've aborted! Waste of space! Wretched mistake! Never should've had you, you little bastard!"

Satos – or more accurately, the thing that was Satos – ripped itself free of the cage Pyramid Head had held it in. It was still mutating too fast to get a clear image of what it had become. Before anyone could react, it had leapt up and everyone had lost sight of it.

"You'll never amount to anything, you worm! You're nothing! NOTHING!"

'Satos' suddenly leapt down and landed right in front of Ash. The boy gasped at what his 'father' had become.

Satos' skin had become leathery and scarred, his hands warped into monstrous claws clutching a bonelike bludgeon that had literally erupted from it's skin. His face had warped the worst, resembling a horrific combination of Pyramid Head's helmet and a Marowak's skull. Two hateful eyes stared down the horrified boy as it raised it's club to kill.

"This is all your fault!" It roared in a voice no longer sounding human. "YOU'RE NO SON OF MINE!"


	31. Chapter 30

Back at the hospital, Brock had his hands full trying to stop the bleeding of a hysterical woman. Several more people had appeared in the hospital sanctuary, apparently from outside. Brock, Lisa and the other doctors were doing everything in their power to keep them calm and heal them.

Eventually, Brock was able to calm the woman down enough to finish the bandaging. The boy took a deep breath. The hospital basement seemed to be overflowing now…several bolder patients had to move to the higher floors so that there would be more room. They were brave…Brock could still hear the snapping noises of the nurse creatures stalking around up there.

Lisa came in, supporting someone with a broken leg. Setting the man on a table, she went to work applying anaesthesia and setting the leg.

"They just keep coming." Brock remarked. "I thought the town had been emptied before all this."

"We tried to get out, believe me."

"The buses stopped coming after last night. We were still waiting at the stop when that THING jumped me."

"We should've gotten a rowboat."

"If those things got into the water…"

"I saw a bunch of them in the lake. Christ, their claws…"

"__?"

The place became quiet again. Lisa finished her work on the man's leg and turned to Brock. "You're good at this."

Brock couldn't help but blush. "Yeah, thanks." In any other circumstance, he would've flirted with Lisa then and there. But something else was on his mind. He glanced and May, who was staring numbly at the ceiling.

Lisa tried to reassure him. "They'll be alright."

Brock sighed. "What makes you so sure?"

Lisa smiled just a little. "I just…know. Don't you?"

"Yeah…I hope." Brock wanted more assurance. Something was…wrong. He could feel it. Ash was in trouble. Of course, Ash was in trouble a lot, but this was different. Very different. This wasn't a matter of stopping some petty crooks or defeating a rival. This was a matter of life-and-death.

Brock prayed that they were alright.

Ash was anything but alright.

Pyramid Head's revelation had shaken him to his core. The fact that every monster that had terrorized him and his friends came from him was more paralyzing that even the harshest defeat. What more, he didn't have time to be paralyzed; he didn't have time to think things over and come to grips with it.

Not with the creature that had once been Satos charging at him like a rhino.

"_RRRRAAAAAAAAAAH!" _

'Satos' swung his bonelike club at Ash, nearly smashing him to bits. Ash was able to dodge by running, but the creature quickly attacked again, aiming to crush Ash with his weapon. Ash hurriedly distanced himself from the abomination. Did he once think this thing was his father?

Roaring with rage and making no attempts at sounding human, the mutated construct swung his bludgeon again, missing Ash by a mile. 'Satos' realized his quarry was out of range and charged again, infuriated.

Survival instinct took over any confusion Ash felt at that moment. Rolling away from the monsters attack, the boy formulated how he would keep this thing from killing him.

The answer was very close.

Pikachu tried to send another electric attack through the bars, but it was hopeless. The electricity was absorbed by the metal, never reaching the monster threatening his master.

Misty and Max were still stunned by what had been revealed. They watched Ash and 'Satos' fight, uncertain if they should be cheering or not. Max's thoughts were more confused than ever. He was angry and afraid, but wasn't quite sure why or who he was mad at. Misty was just shocked. That was all she could feel.

Jessie had opened James and Meowth's cages, and quietly urged them to leave with her. Unfortunately, when she opened the door out she got a nasty surprise.

The scratching noises at the door were caused by a swarm of the skull headed children, all of them banging at the door and calling for 'Daddy'. The sheer number of the knife-wielding creatures scared Jessie from going downstairs, afraid that they would take her as an enemy.

As a result, everyone simply continued to watch in silence.

'Satos' shrieked again, enraged that he was constantly missing. Why was Ash so fast? It didn't matter. If the boy made one mistake, he was dead meat. Another swipe. This time, Ash's shoulder was nearly knocked off. He was starting to slow down due to fatigue.

Ash saw the answer to his current problem on the floor. Pyramid Head's spear, the metal thing the murderer had tossed down after slaughtering that fake father of his. Why hadn't he finished the job? It didn't matter now.

Ash looked over his shoulder and saw the monster raising his club for another attack. The boy didn't waste any time. Running towards the black iron thing, he was able to get out of Satos' range and the club hit the floor with a dull thud. Ash ran past the spear, grabbing it off the ground. The sharp edge dug into his hand, but he barely noticed.

Satos, fed up with the fruitless attacks, tossed his club aside and revealed it's claws. It was faster without it's weapon, and it ran towards Ash with talons drawn and ready to slice him to ribbons.

But that wasn't what happened.

Two things happened at once. The Satos monster leapt towards Ash, claws eager to rend the boy to pieces and mouth open in a roar. Ash whirled around, bringing the sharp point of the spear upwards. When Satos came down, it came down right on the point. The spear jabbed into the top of it's mouth, and as the creature sank to the ground, the spear went right through the monster's skull, eventually emerging from the back of it's head. It's body went limp, claws hitting the floor uselessly.

Ash smiled slightly, seeing that the monster was as good as dead. That was easy.

Then the creature croaked, in a voice unmistakably Satos. "Ash…"

The boy's eyes went wide.

"I…I'm…

disappointed…"

The adrenaline that spurred Ash on suddenly wore off, and the boy shoved the spear-impaled creature aside, taking several steps backward. The thing that had once appeared to be his father teetered for a minute, and then fell backward with the spear still imbedded in it's skull.

No-one moved.

The scratching at the door stopped.

There was a dead silence.

Ash glanced up at Misty and Max. He didn't see any admiration or sympathy in their horrified faces. Just shock and horror. Max was glaring at him especially harsh. They were staring at him as if they were staring at an inhuman monster.

Was he?

This was all because of him. The creatures were springing from his mind, acting as he thought they would. Like Pokemon who attacked on sight, but whose attacks were more deadly and fatal. They responded to his emotional state, becoming more aggressive whenever he got angry. How many people had been killed by his anger?

Ash numbly stepped away from the corpse he had once hoped was his father. He babbled for a second, trying to find something to say. But nothing was there. His mouth was dry and dead.

Overwhelmed with guilt and convinced that his friends now feared and hated him, Ash Ketchum did the only thing he could think of.

He ran.

He ran out of the basement, out of Pyramid Head's hideout. He ran out of the stadium, where Ed's corpse still lay in the announcer's booth. He ran past the Pokemon murdered by a monster he had dreamed up. He ran through the streets, passing under the hanging corpse of a man overcome with fear and despair. He ran through Kalville, a place of hopeful dreams and opportunities forever destroyed.

When he couldn't run any futher, he fell to his knees and began weeping.

Footsteps approached him from all around. When Ash looked up, several figures were shambling out of the mists. They looked human, but as they came closer he could see they had no faces. Just like the nurses. Where these the ghosts of the people who died here? Or more abominations he had dreamed up? It didn't matter. The boy didn't move.

They were carrying baseball bats, crowbars and switchblades. Every one of them descended onto Ash, hitting and cutting the guilty boy without resistance. Ash felt blood pool in his mouth after one of them smacked him across the face. It felt as if several bones had been broken. He still didn't fight back or run.

This was all his fault. He deserved this…

Or did he? Wasn't it Alessa who had given him this… but he was still responsible for the creatures… was he?

"DADDY!"

The faceless mob was set upon by the skull-headed children, who grabbed onto the monsters and dug into the bloodless flesh with their tiny knives. The faceless mob struggled to rid themselves of the tiny demons, but the Cubone monsters only became more ferocious. Several of them resorted to sawing the faceless heads clean off.

Ash was still too stunned to move. He just watched as his chil – the Cubone monsters laid waste to the mob. Soon, all that was left of his faceless punishers was fleshy pieces scattered around him.

The skull-headed monsters turned to Ash.

"It's okay, daddy." 

"We know you didn't mean to."

"Are you okay?"

One of them tried to put it's bloodied hand on Ash's shoulder. The boy jerked away in response, disappointing the creature. Ash gulped, not sure what to make of it.

He had been badly beaten, but he didn't feel pain. All he felt was numb. Very numb. He stared at the tiny creatures around him, who were watching him with concerned eyes. Why would they care? They were monsters...monsters he had created…did that make him their father after all?

Ash weakly tried to get up, but nearly collapsed. Two of the creatures rushed to his side and supported him. Why were they…why…why weren't they attacking him? What was…

It suddenly became clear to Ash. These things were manifestations of his need to please his father. All they wanted was to make 'Daddy' happy. That was all they really wanted.

The de facto leader of Ash's 'children' pointed to a building not far away from where Ash had stopped. Ash could barely make it out in the thick mist, which was getting darker and darker in his eyes.

"Daddy…?"

Ash smiled weakly before falling unconscious. Daddy. His children began to slowly drag him towards the building. He'd be more comfy there.

"I can't believe all three of them just ran off!" Max spat out as he and Misty slowly exited the stadium. "Stinking cowards!"

Misty sighed. Now that the danger had past, Max was trying to sound assertive and strong, focus on anything else right now. But his eyes betrayed that he was still scared and confused about the entire matter. Misty understood perfectly, sighing sadly as she stroked a shivering Pikachu in her arms.

Team Rocket had bolted after the knife-wielders had left the area. Misty honestly wasn't surprised. She was surprised to see the ambulance still there, however. The tires had been slashed by the skull-headed children, so the trio had simply run off.

"When I find them, I'm gonna…" Max stammered, trying to find the words. He couldn't, so he changed the subject. "And when I find Ash, I'm gonna…" His teeth ground as he tried to find a reason to be so angry.

"Do what, Max?" Misty sighed.

"I…I…I…I don't know! But it's not…" Max shook in confused frustration, grabbing his hair in anger. Tears sprung up in his eyes, despite his best attempts to ignore them.

Misty put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's get to the hospital first. You're sister's worried." Misty somehow felt they had nothing to fear from the monsters on the roads now.

"Yuh-yeah…" Max tried to conceal a sob. All of what had happened was too much for the boy to digest properly. Maybe he'd feel better once he was away from this stinking place. Maybe if he had some time to think…and May was probably going crazy. _Yeah. Focus on May. She needs to see you. Don't think about Ash. Not…_

Misty looked out into the fog. The entire town had fallen completely silent. There was no monster cries, no inhuman shrieks. There was nothing. The grey fog seemed miserable and hopeless, and the sky looked as though it wanted nothing more than to rain.

Pikachu mewled sadly, thinking of it's master lost in the town. Misty wiped a tear away from her eye and began the long trek back to Kalville hospital with Max.

Deep inside the Kalville stadium, a powerful bloodied hand retrieved the spear from Satos' twice-killed corpse. Now that that had been taken care of, this nightmare may finally being coming to an end.


	32. Chapter 31

Brock was becoming more and more frantic. It had been hours since Ash, Misty and Jessie had left. Where were they? Were they okay? Were they hurt? Were they dead? What did Alessa want? Where was Satos? What was going on? These questions and hundreds more ran through his head as he paced the hospital basement, trying not to step on any of the patient's toes.

May was just staring at the ceiling, barely even blinking. All she thought about was Max, somewhere in town. Somewhere in this psychotic, bloody town. The town Ash dragged them all back to knowing full well what was waiting. Her teeth clenched at the thought and…

"SIS!"

A gloriously familiar voice broke May's stupor and woke her up for real. She immediately sat up, eyes wide and searching for the source of that voice. Brock had heard it as well, and whirled around to see who had spoken.

Max burst through the doorway to the basement and nearly took a nasty fall down the steps. He didn't care. He saw his sister, wide-eyed and stunned. Heedless of whatever was around him, the boy bolted towards May and wrapped his arms around her, relieved to see his sibling after what had happened.

May hugged him even tighter back, tears springing up in her eyes. It felt like the colossal weight on her mind had been lifted at last, the first good moment in god knows how long. She clutched her little brother, never wanting to let go.

Brock smiled, then turned to see Misty slowly walk down the stairway, Pikachu in her arms. Brock expression became a little troubled. She was the only other one there…

Once Misty had rejoined the group, Brock raised the question. "Wh-where are the others? Ash, Satos and Team Rocket?"

Max tensed up at the mention of Ash and Satos. He very nearly snapped out loud. "Ash? Satos? Well, he's the one who – "

Misty stopped him, wary of the people and Pokemon around them. "It's…" Misty sighed sadly, Pikachu doing the same. Max was about to say something, but noticed the expressions on his friends faces and became aware of the people around him.

Brock gulped, fearing the very worst. "What happened? Are they alright?"

Misty managed to continue. "No it…it's a long story. Let's…talk somewhere else. Somewhere a bit more private."

* * *

Jessie, James and Meowth had been running ever since they got that opportunity to escape. After a long run through the abandoned streets of Kalville, they had to stop for breath. It actually seemed fairly safe…they hadn't encountered a single monster on the way here. Setting themselves down on a convenient bench, they tried to catch their breaths and figure out a better way to get out of town.

Jessie's thoughts kept wandering however. Something didn't sit right with her. Pyramid Head's explanation certainly answered a few questions, but it also raised a few more.

"I don't get it." She finally remarked.

"Get what, Jess?" James asked.

"This. All this. Those creatures. Those murdering monsters. I don't get it."

"Whaddaya mean?" Meowth muttered. "Triangle top explained it."

"Triangle top?" _That is not a name befitting that colossal murderer_, James thought.

"I know but…" Jessie shook her head. Why couldn't she stop thinking about this? Something was preying on the back of her mind, but she couldn't figure out what. "I mean…you saw those things! Why would the kid dream them up?"

James blinked. "Um…because Alessa gave him the idea?"

Jessie nearly retorted, but thought for a minute. That did make some sort of sense… Alessa's influence or vibes or whatever could've affected those constructs. Make them bloody and violent like the monsters she made in Silent Hill. But something still seemed off.

"Ok, but it still seems funny…"

"Why are ya talking about it? We got other things to think about, let the twerps handle this little nightmare. They made it."

"No they didn't!" Jessie suddenly snapped.

James and Meowth blinked. Why was Jessie acting like this? Why was she so concerned? Even Jessie didn't know why.

There was a brief silence, and the trio decided they had taken enough breaths and began to walk down the street. Jessie still stared at the ground, puzzled and troubled without knowing why. Not knowing made her very frustrated. This wasn't her problem, she had got back her friends…partners…why was she so upset?

"Wait…the kid told us Alessa had captured him a day or two before this started."

"So?"

"So…why didn't those creatures start erupting _then_? Why'd they only start popping up after – "

James' foot hit something solid, making a loud clang. The noise made the trio jump in shock, as they whirled to see what had made that noise.

It was a gas canister. Jessie recognized it as the faulty knockout gas from their last attempt at capturing Pikachu. She had been a little fuzzy, but she remembered that it happened just before this insanity had started.

Just before the insanity had started…

"Hey…James, could you tell me what the label says?"

James was confused by this request, but checked the label anyway. "'White Claudia; bringing dreams to our customers for centuries.' Weird label." He shrugged.

Wheels in Jessie's head were turning faster and faster. She closed her eyes and focused, trying to find out what was in the back of her head that made her so concerned. "And we thought that was a knockout gas?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't. You were acting a little funny before we hit the twerps…"

"I was seeing some weird stuff…"

"Jess?"

Something in the woman's mind clicked. "The gas wasn't a knockout, it was a…something…that made you see weird things. What's it called, a…a halluti…hallucinogen?"

"That's what they're called, I think…" James was starting to get Jessie's train of thought. Where that train led wasn't a very nice thought.

"So the twerp was hit with something that made him see funny things…so what?" Meowth challenged.

"SO…that was the second the fog rolled in, remember?"

Jessie snapped her fingers, finally having an answer. "That's why these things look like they do. They showed up after Ash breathed that Claudia stuff…"

Meowth suddenly realized what Jessie was implying. "Wait, wait, wait. Are ya saying _we_ did this?"

"No…not exactly, but we helped. The craziness started after we hit Ash with that stuff. Right after, I mean the fog rolled in seconds after the gas was released. Think about it!" Jessie took a breath and began talking again, punctuating her points by pointed to her fingers. "Ok…Alessa's power in Ash. Probably had some influence over it even though she wasn't using it per se. The vibes of this town and it's history. And then the gas. The creatures only showed up right after the gas. All of that together…" Jessie gestured to the dead town around them. "All this.

Face it, if we hadn't hit the twerps with that stuff, this wouldn't have happened. Why do you think things didn't go to hell right when Ash got his power? He's a goody-two-shoes, he'd never think this stuff up on purpose. Not even in the back of his mind. It took the gas stuff for this lunacy to happen. WE. HELPED."

There was a silence as what Jessie was suggesting sunk in. Of course, it was entirely possible she was wrong at some point, or that she didn't quite understand what she was talking about. But it was no coincidence that the nightmare started right after they hit Ash with the gas. It couldn't be.

The trio was jarred out of their thoughts when a noise erupted from a nearby alley. A trash can lid clattering, the noise of someone or something fleeing in a hurry. Evidently, this town wasn't as deserted as they thought. Something had been listening to them.

They started moving again, fearful that they were being monitered. The idea that Jessie had brought up hung in their minds, however.

* * *

The little creature scurrying through the abandoned streets had heard everything. It ran towards it's destination with an inhuman vigour. Daddy had to know about this. Daddy had to know about this now.

* * *

After finding an empty room a fair distance from the crowd, Misty told Brock and May everything. Every detail poured from her mouth like a sad fountain, every revelation described in troubling detail. She only stopped occasionally to take a breath. May's eyes went wider and Brock's jaw grew slacker as she continued.

When she finally finished, there was a silence. You could hear a pin drop in the room. Brock hung his head down, unsure what to think. Max's forehead was creased with concentration, trying to decide what to think.

May's face hardened. "I knew it."

"What?"

"I knew this was all his fault."

Brock blinked. "What are you…"

"Don't you get it?" she yelled. "This is all because of him! He made this nightmare, you heard Misty! You SAW it, Max!"

"Yeah, but…"

May abruptly stood up, clenching her fists in rage. "He made it, got the town destroyed and all those people killed, then he dragged us back in to find his father, who apparently was NEVER REAL! I'm going to kill him when I see him!"

"May, calm down! This isn't helping!"

"Well, what will help, huh? What should we do? We got no way outta here! This is all his fault! This is…" May teetered for a moment before suddenly collapsing. Max quickly caught his sister before she hit the floor.

"May? May, are you okay?"

"Fuh-fine…just…a little tired…" she mumbled, her eyes getting heavy.

"How long has it been since you slept?" Brock asked.

"Not since…the ambulance, actually…" May clutched her forehead wearily. "Head's spinning…"

Brock sighed. "Stress. I'll get you back to the cot. But you gotta sleep this time, OK? You need it."

"I…I'll help…I need some sleep, too." Max groaned. "Yeah let's…get some rest. We're not going anywhere anyway."

Brock sighed. "That's a good idea. This has been…pretty trying. Let's figure this out later, OK?" Brock needed some time to think. This news hit hard, and he wasn't sure how to react without seeming rash or unfair. He felt the others needed some time to think it over as well.

Max smiled weakly. "Yeah…let's." The boy held May's hand, prompting her to smile as well.

Misty couldn't sleep. She was reduced to pacing the floors of the hospital, limping on her leg that had suddenly become sore again. In the excitement earlier, she must've forgotten about it. Pikachu sat on her shoulder, limp and sad.

May was being unfair. This wasn't all Ash's fault. He'd never do this on purpose. Alessa did this…but why? That was easy to answer…to hide the bulk of her powers from Dakos. But all this? What could she possibly gain from all this? And why Ash, some kid she met a few days ago? All these questions kept running through her mind and the answers never came.

CRACKSNAPCLICKCLACKWRACK SNAP

Misty whirled around at the sound, expecting another one of the faceless nurses that had been lurking around the hospital. Pikachu began sparking it's cheeks in preparation. There was nothing in the hallway she looked down. Misty tried to catch her breath.

_CRACKSNAPCLICKRACKSCKAT_

It was above her now! The terrified girl looked up and sure enough, one of the inhuman nurses was right above her head, the constantly twitching head looking down at her like a spastic vulture. The creature's claws were imbedded in the ceiling, securing the monster. Misty and Pikachu braced themselves for an attack…

That never came. The nurse simply dropped something and scuttled away, moving like a fast Ariados on the ceiling. In a few minutes the faceless thing had disappeared into the hospital shadows.

Misty and Pikachu didn't move for a minute, fully expecting the creature to come back and attack her for real. When it didn't, the girl regained her breath and shook her head clear of the nervousness. Come to think of it, those nurse things had been skulking around the hospital the entire time, and no-one had been attacked. What were they doing there, anyway?

Eventually the girl's gaze fell onto the floor. The nurse had dropped a piece of paper onto the floor. A letter? Misty picked it up and examined it. The picture depicted a pink rabbit mascot standing in front of a bright amusement park, with the words 'Lakeside Amusement Park' in shiny red letters. On the back was writing.

_Dear Misty, Brock, May and Max._

_This situation has spun out of control. I realize that now. I'm at the theatre, two blocks west of the hospital. We can discuss these matters with some sense of civility and reason._

_Alessa Gillespie_

Alessa? Misty's fist clenched at the thought of the girl. The murderous freak who had this town destroyed years ago and now…

She blinked. Alessa had just given up her location. Not too far from here. And now she wanted to talk. Misty gritted her teeth. When she saw that girl…but Alessa was the one who knew the most about this mess. She was the one with the answers she wanted. And now she knew where she was.

Misty glanced at Pikachu. The electric mouse gulped. Misty wondered if it could read every word. Clearly it knew what was going on inside her head.

She had to go there. She had to go there now. Alessa had the answers she wanted. However, her thoughts turned to the others. May was in no condition to travel, nor would she want to at this point. Max would have to stay by his sister's side – she wouldn't let him out of her sight again. And Brock… Brock was needed here. He had skills that would be needed as soon as he woke up.

She had to do this now. She couldn't wait for them to wake up. She had to go.

Misty turned around and nearly ran into a nurse. She gasped with surprise, but luckily it was one she knew.

"Misty?" Lisa seemed very surprised. "Thank God you're alright! I never saw you come in." The nurse was carrying another supply of bandages, for anyone who still needed them.

"Yeah." Misty shrugged.

"Is…is something wrong?"

"Ye – no, no nothings wrong. I'm okay, so's Max. And Ash." She hastily added. "Ash is okay. I just…"

Lisa looked into Misty's eyes with sympathy. "Just…what?"

Misty sighed, a lie going through her head before she discarded it completely. "I just need to find him again."

"Oh." Lisa gulped. The nurse's eyes grew sad. "I see."

Misty rubbed Pikachu's fur gently as she thought about what she would say. "Um…Lisa?"

"Yes?"

"I…" Misty looked into Pikachu's eyes. The electric mouse understood what was going on in her mind right now, and nodded. They were not waiting anymore. "I need to go."

"Go? Go where?"

"The…the theatre. I need to go now. Just…" Misty sighed, looking at the letter in her hands once again. "Just…when my friends wake up, tell them I'm…"

Lisa waiting patiently for Misty to finish.

"Tell them I'm going to…to…stop this nightmare. S-somehow. Can you…can you tell them that?"

Lisa looked as though she was about to protest, but eventually nodded. "Yes, I'll…I'll tell them that. Soon as I can. I promise."

"Thank you, Lisa." Misty felt a twinge of guilt. She was abandoning her friends…then again, if she stayed here and did nothing, she'd be abandoning her best friend. Ash needed help. Whatever he had done and whether he had intended to do it, he needed help. And helping him would…if all went well, helping him would end this nightmare.

"Be careful." Lisa finally spoke.

Misty smiled weakly. "I will."

The girl turned and started running out of the hospital, Pikachu on her shoulder. She was going to finish this.

* * *

Ash was still unconscious. His 'children' had moved him to comfortable chair inside, and were sloppily applying bandages as best they could to his wounds. The skull headed creatures milled around the boy, keeping a close watch on him.

The ones that weren't at his side had been wandering around the empty town, trying to find someone that would make Daddy feel better when he woke up. A handful came in, bringing random items such as withered flowers and bobble-headed Pikachu dolls.

One of the creatures came in, not bringing anything other than news. Not sure if Daddy could hear it or not, it leaned into Ash's ear and whispered all it had heard.

Nobody could be certain if Ash really did hear all of it. It wasn't clear if Ash had understood the entirety of the creature's news. He was still unconscious, after all. Who hears things when they are sleeping?

But judging by the way his sleeping face tensed, he had heard at least part of it.

* * *

Another few minutes of running, and Team Rocket was gasping for air and supporting themselves on a bus stop sign. Thinking they were relatively safe, the trio decided to lay out their options.

"We can't just walk out of town, guys."

"Whaddaya talking about? Course we can. It's just a long walk."

"A really long walk. Didn't you see how much forest we had to cross over to get here? It'll take us hours to walk through, if not days, even if we follow the road. And it's still miles to the nearest town after that."

"We need a car or something."

"In case you haven't noticed, Jess, all the cars were wrecked."

"All the cars on the street. What about in a garage or something?"

"That might be…"

"Who'd stick around long enough to leave a car in the garage? Half the population's bolted, and I imagine that was the half that actually had cars."

"What about a…" Jessie glanced at the sign they were clutching to. _Kalville Bus Station #241_ Under the sign was a holder carrying pamphlets showing the bus route and schedule.

A flash of inspiration struck the woman. "THAT'S IT!" She suddenly yelled out.

James and Meowth were surprised by this outburst, jumping back nearly a foot. "What? What's it, Jess?"

Jessie grabbed a pamphlet. "The bus! There's gotta be a station or something where they're kept when they're not on the roads, for refuelling or cleaning or stuff like that!"

James smiled. "Yes, of course! But where would we find it?"

"And what if those things trashed it already?"

Jessie looked down at the map. "It'd be in the main district…and the twerp wouldn't think of having them tear that place up. Remember, they acted like crazed wild Pokemon. Pokemon don't go into buildings. HERE!" She pointed to a point on the map. The bus warehouse had been marked on the map, so the drivers could refer to it if they needed to. She showed the point to an excited James and Meowth.

"A few streets across and down, and we'll have a vehicle to get outta this place!"

"Yeah, and not only that-"

"_Running away?"_

All three of them jumped. That voice was the voice of a furious Cubone monster, one of Ash's murderous 'children'. Their eyes whirled around in terror, but were unable to spot the speaker in the thick fog.

"Oh no…" Meowth squeaked. Judging by the rustling coming from all around them, there were more of these little demons around them.

"_You not leaving yet!"_

"_Daddy's not taking ALL the blame!"_

"_You helped!" _

The trio spun around in a circle, trying to see the creatures threatening them. They didn't. All the monsters were hiding in the fog. It was impossible to see any of them.

A loud WHUMP nearby suddenly took their minds off any small monsters around them. A larger creature had landed a few feet away from them, likely having leapt off the top of a nearby building. Team Rocket looked at it and gasped.

The monster was vaguely humanoid, standing roughly six feet tall. Scraggly yellow fur covered a lean frame, with blood-red stripes going across the back and a lightning-shaped tail. Two very long, very sharp claws scraped the ground as if being sharpened. Most grotesque of all was the head. It was three times larger than normal, making the monster look like a living bobble-head doll. The head was hanging at an unnatural angle, giving the appearance of a broken neck. Two long pointed ears hung down from the sideways head. Two hate-filled eyes stared at the terrified trio, with a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth grinned the grin of a Sharpedo seeing a fresh meal.

A huge, demonic, living Pikachu bobble-head doll. Apparently sent by the very angry 'ruler' of this place.

Team Rocket swallowed hard. This was **not** going to be pleasant.


	33. Chapter 32

The walk to Kalville theatre was short, although it took Misty a minute or two to figure out where 'west' was in relation to the hospital. It took her another minute to work up the nerve to walk on. The thought of Ash spurred her on. If this is what it would take to finish this nightmare, then she'd do it. No looking back. Taking a deep breath and patting Pikachu for good luck, Misty kept walking forward.

Torn banners and wrecked stands decorated the entertainment district of Kalville. Melted ice cream and hamburgers left on the blazing burners gave the area a very unpleasant smell. Several Pokemon dolls were scattered on the street, making Misty think about the innocence these events had broken. Toys, pamphlets and money were lying everywhere, dropped by the owners in their haste to escape. Misty hoped they had gotten away safely. A broken rendition of Kalville's theme was playing on one of the loudspeakers. Once it would be obnoxious. Now it was desperate.

Kalville theatre was unmistakable. The colossal neon sign on the building announced it's business to the world. It was still impressive even without the neon working. Several posters for hopeful summer blockbusters and hilarious flops hung from the walls nearby. Misty recognized a few of the movies, a few of which she and Ash helped make. But that wasn't what caught her attention.

Leaning on the ticket booth and holding a pink rabbit doll, was Alessa Gillespie.

Rage overtook Misty. The sight of the girl, the murderess who was at least partially responsible for this hell, the reality-warper who killed countless people before Kalville was even founded, made the Cerulean gym leader's blood boil. Pikachu growled at the girl angrily. Here was the empress of Silent Hill.

Misty stormed towards the girl, a furious expression on her face. Before Alessa could look up or even acknowledge her presence, Misty had grabbed her by the tie and punched her right in the face. On seeing that Alessa's eye didn't even blink, Misty got even angrier and hit her again. For Ash, for Kalville, for the people and Pokemon who had gotten killed because of her…

Alessa looked Misty in the eye, revealing the hollow hole in her face. "Are you done?"

The sight of Alessa's missing eye made Misty do a double-take. Shocked out her rage, Misty thought about what she doing. How was this helping? How was attacking this girl, who wasn't controlling this insanity and, in fact, was no real threat to her herself, helping matters? Misty reminded herself of what Alessa had done in the past, but remembered that she needed this girl's help to stop this insanity.

"Yeah…I guess…" Misty reluctantly released Alessa's tie. Pikachu still glared at the girl, but didn't attack. Alessa simply touched the bruise that was forming on her face, no visible expression of pain or surprise on her face.

Misty shook her head. "What were you _thinking_?"

"Not one of my best-laid plans, granted. But I was a bit pressed for time." Alessa looked around for a second. "I thought Ash had more friends than just you."

"They…they can't go out right now." Misty replied, still very angry. "And what do you mean, pressed for time?"

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Start? Um…how about the day you and your executioner destroyed the statue?"

"Very well. The day after you and I met, Dakos was able to capture me. Used a combination of magic and technology. I'll wager it's the same technique used to bring me back and tie my powers to this body."

"So the evil king started stealing your crown."

"Yes. A machine inside his headquarters…" Alessa pointed to Dako's building, barely visible in the fog. "Was able to strip me of most of my powers. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis…as you saw."

"Yeah…" Misty thought back to the flying, flaming cars around Dako's headquarters. It struck her that they had never thought to go after Dakos, but then again, things got complicated very fast and by the time they had the opportunity to figure things out, the evidence pointing to Alessa seemed to outweigh Dakos' attack. "But…not your reality warping powers."

"No."

"I don't get it. Why would Dakos just forget to get the most powerful thing from you?"

Alessa sighed and shook her head. "The man is a lunatic and an idiot, despite what his technicians are capable of. After he obtained my telekinesis, he tested it by killing the scientist operating the machine. Poor sod. Dakos was so drunk with power he didn't notice my escape."

"So you decided to smuggle the most powerful energy in the world into a kid you met a few days ago."

"Don't give me that look. My priority was to keep that power away from Dakos. Surely you can agree that things would be infinitely worse if he had those capabilities. And I had to do it fast. Almost immediately after I bestowed Mr. Ketchum my gift, I was taken again."

Misty had to agree, but she still glared ferociously at Alessa. The one-eyed empress was less than impressed with her deathly look. Pacing back and forth, Alessa continued to narrate.

"Contrary to what you may think, Misty, I did put some thought into this. Ash seemed like an ideal candidate. Morally sound, accustomed to commanding creatures and the only real psychological issue being his absent father. And more importantly, a curious willingness to drop everything and stop villains whenever he encounters them."

Misty shook her head. "I still don't get it. What was the plan?"

"The shield around Dakos' building blocks me and any of my creatures from entering. It's specifically designed to repel me and my constructs, only letting me in whenever Dakos finds it convenient. And even if I do get inside, my powers are neutralized within the building. However, any other person or Pokemon could get inside…Dakos does not think ahead as much as he'd like to think he does."

Alessa continued, glancing at a movie poster featuring a knight holding a sword high above his head. "So, if someone brave and/or stupid enough to go inside, to avenge the murdered Markus or just put an end to the evil king's madness, things might have gone a little smoother from there. If by pure luck or skill he managed to defeat Dakos – or even just deactivated those shields so I could get inside – me and my executioner could have taken him and I could've regained my powers."

Misty looked at Alessa very oddly. "You wanted Ash to confront Dakos, somehow defeat him and let you in? A boy with a few friends and Pokemon? That's a really bad plan, what made you think it would -"

"The iron-masked marauder, a professional mercenary that managed to be arrested with Ash's aid within a few days."

"Eh? Well, um, we kinda had help…"

"Annie and Oakley, two more professionals."

"Yeah, that…"

"The Phantom."

"Um…"

"Lawrence III."

"How did you…?"

"Teams Magma and Aqua."

"I…"

"And God knows how many times he dealt with Team Rocket and those three delusional…"

"OK, OK! I get it! But…" Exasperated, Misty gestured wildly at the fog and town. "What happened?"

Alessa sighed resigningly. She wasn't too pleased with this situation herself. "Ah, yes. A catalyst that activated my powers within him. A local drug called White Claudia, used in The Order's rituals and sold to tourists as a hallucinogen. Those three fools exposed him to it, thinking it was a knockout gas."

Misty remembered that the fog had descended immediately after Team Rocket had ambushed them. She hadn't thought about it before, what with trying to stay alive.

Alessa continued, crossing her arms. "As I said before, his only real issue was his father. If it wasn't for that catalyst, Satos may have been the only construct made. But the gas managed to somehow trigger a combination of his memories, his understanding of the world and the nature of Silent Hill. I don't need to tell you the result of that."

Misty was silent for a moment, getting her head around what Alessa had just told her. It seemed ridiculous for her to expect Ash to somehow overcome Dakos…then again, he had faced odds like that a lot. But how did Alessa know about all that? Never mind, it didn't matter. If they had somehow pulled it off, all this wouldn't have happened…if Team Rocket hadn't hit them with that stuff…

"If I see them again, I'm gonna…"

"Save your anger." Alessa stopped her. "It was a combination of misinformation and bad luck. Team Rocket is about as responsible for this as Ash himself." The one-eyed empress put a finger under her chin. "Speaking of which, I wonder what's become of them…"

Far away from Kalville Entertainment district, Team Rocket was running through the streets as fast as they possibly could. After the monstrous Pikachu had landed, they whirled around and beat a hasty retreat.

The bobble-head monster kept pace with them, leaping between rooftops and walls like a ninja. Jessie occasionally heard it cackling, but could never figure out where it was coming from. She just ran faster, hoping desperately that they could somehow outrun this creature.

They couldn't.

In the middle of an alley, the bobble-head Pikachu landed right in front of them, claws at the ready. The three were running too fast to stop and turn around quickly enough, and skidded right into the creature's swiping claws. The backs of their uniforms were torn off, making them shriek in pain and collapse to the ground.

Jessie noticed a nearby crowbar, likely dropped by a panicking street worker. Without thinking, the woman picked it up and swung it around, smashing the creature across the head. However, the disconnected head simply spun around the neck, and the creature showed no signs of pain. James and Meowth scuttled out of the way as quickly as they could, while Jessie got up, trying to stay the strong one.

The Pikachu abomination simply grabbed it's head, stopping it's spin with the face turned away from Team Rocket. With a swift motion of it's claws, the maniacal face and black eyes were turned back towards the trio.

Jessie gulped hard, but attacked again. This time, it was an upward swing, hoping to knock off that thing's head. The bobble-head monster saw it coming, however, and grabbed the crowbar with it's paws. Jessie struggled to break her weapon free of the beast's grip, but the monstrosity's grip was too strong for her.

Smirking malevolently, the creature abruptly sunk it's sharp fangs into Jessie's shoulder. The woman gasped in pain as blood squirted out of the wound. Reflexively, Jessie smashed her foot right between the monster's legs, the shock of the attack enough to force the monster to release the woman. Jessie collapsed to the ground, blood staining her white shirt. The creature snarled and raised his claws again.

Meowth sprung into action, leaping onto the beast's face and clawing at it ferociously. "NOBODY! TOUCHES! JESS!" he screamed as he slashed with more fury than he ever had before. The attack disoriented the Pikachu monster for a minute, causing it to stagger back a few paces.

James ran up beside Jessie in the seconds Meowth had given them. Heedless of his own cuts, the man wrapped his shirt around Jessie's wound to stop the bleeding. "I got you, Jess, it'll be alright." He stammered.

"Yeah, right." Jessie moaned with pain.

Flailing it's paws about blindly, the Pikachu beast eventually grabbed Meowth by the tail. Enraged, the monster pulled the cat Pokemon off it's face and slammed it against the wall of the alleyway. Meowth yelped in pain as the creature hit the wall with him again and again. Finally, the violent abomination turned around, threw Meowth to the ground, and kicked the small Pokemon hard. Meowth was sent sailing down the alley.

"GAAAAHH!" James took advantage of the creature having his back turned to him and attacked with Jessie's dropped crowbar. An overhead smash stunned the creature, enabling James to get more desperate hits in. The monster's grotesque head spun around to see it's attacker, startling the man for a second. However, James got the nerve to continue attacking, hitting the beast's head again and dislodging it even further.

Unfortunatley, on the next attack the Pikachu behemoth grabbed the crowbar and James felt a surge of painful electricity surge through him. The man screamed in pain as the Pikachu monster smiled psychotically. Eventually the monster simply tossed the crowbar-wielding Rocket aside, and James smashed against the wall hard. The man exclaimed in bone-breaking pain before unceremoniously falling into a nearby dumpster. The creature couldn't resist a chuckle at this.

Jessie recognized that laugh. It was distorted, but definitely recognizable. That was Ash's laugh!

It's vicious smile broadening to reveal more deadly teeth, the monster turned it's attention back to the woman on the ground. Jessie's shoulder wound was too painful for her to get up and attack, and the creature chuckled gleefully as he moved in for the kill.

"Ash, listen to me!" Jessie wasn't sure what made her think Ash could hear her, but this was her last hope. "I know why you're upset, but we didn't do this!"

The monster's smile faded slightly.

"I mean, we didn't do this on purpose! We didn't know this would happen, I swear! And if we did know this would happen, we'd never have done it, Ash!"

The creature snorted in frustration, trying to shake off Jessie's words.

"Think about it, you _know_ us! We're thieves, not psychopaths! We're not heartless! We helped you before! We're not that evil!"

The bobble-head Pikachu came closer, it's smile replaced with an enraged grimace. The monster's claws wrapped around Jessie's neck and brought her up to eye level with it's hateful orbs. Growling with rage, the monster readied it's other claws for it's last attack.

Jessie knew these might be her last words. Her once desperate tone became calm and unflinching. "Ash, we knew about what would happen as much as…you did. We helped cause this, and we're sorry. But if you think we should die for it…just think for a minute. You didn't mean for this, but…if you do this, you do this on purpose and…you are as cruel as Alessa and as much a monster as this thing."

That stopped the monster. Ash's agent of vengeance paused with shock, and the once hateful eyes went wide with realization.

"We know you Ash." Jessie continued. "You're a good kid. We've fought, but we were the bad guys. We know a good guy when we see one. You came back here…back to this hellhole…to save someone you barely met. You did everything you could to help strangers and former foes. And you never willingly killed anyone. Say what you will about how…impulses in the back of head got acted out here, you never tried to kill anybody. You're not Alessa, Ash. Don't become her."

There was a pause. For five minutes the world froze as what Jessie had said sunk in. In that moment, the woman knew that somehow, Ash Ketchum had heard her. The monster's smile was completely gone, replaced with a horrified expression of guilt.

The creature's hand opened, and Jessie fell to the ground. She winced in pain, but looked up at the monster that mere seconds ago was ready to kill her.

The bobble-head agent of rage clutched his head, as if suffering from a painful headache. The huge head began twitching erratically, with the monster roaring in anguish and frustration. Stumbling back into the alley, the once-terrifying creature now brought to mind someone trying to contain a burst of painful self-loathing.

Eventually, it couldn't take it anymore. The Pikachu monster let out a pitiful scream of guilt, anger and regret at the sky, loud enough to make Jessie cover up her ears to block out the sad sound. The creature screamed louder and louder, it's head rattling harder and harder until it was fit to burst.

And then it did. Unable to contain itself, the monster's oversized head flew off the body. The scream abruptly stopped the second the head vanished, and the headless manifestation of Ash Ketchum's rage teetered for a second before collapsing to the ground.

Across town, the real Ash Ketchum woke up and started sobbing.

After getting her breath back, Jessie was able to stand up and start walking again. Despite having one workable arm, she managed to help James out of the dumpster. Supporting each other, the two walked down the alley slowly. At the end of the alleyway, they found an unconscious but alive Meowth. James picked up his friend gingerly as Jessie checked their positions again.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"Look."

James followed Jessie's pointing finger. In the fog, he could faintly see a large, boring building with a sign tacked onto the brick. _Kalville Bus Depot_. And from the look of it, the creatures hadn't broken inside. James smiled. They had an escape from town.

"We need to make a stop first." Jessie remarked airily.

James nodded, understanding perfectly.

Alessa, Misty and Pikachu had faintly heard the scream. They all turned to the noise, but couldn't place the location. It sounded very much like their friend.

Misty gulped. "Was that Ash?" she asked nervously.

"No, not quite." Alessa answered. "Still, we will need to find him quickly."

Misty whirled around to face Alessa. "Do you know where he is?" she demanded.

"No. But I know how to find him."

Misty was about to threaten the girl with painful death, but took a deep breath and composed herself. She didn't like this at all, but it was clear she'd have to work with this 'empress' if she wanted to help her friend. Fine. But when this was over, she never wanted to see this girl ever again.

Digging into the purse she was carrying, Alessa produced a red-and-white baseball cap. cap was slightly burnt and torn apart, but it was still recognizable... Ash's hat! The one Pyramid Head had taken at the butcher shop. It all started to come together for Misty.

After a moment of hesitation, Alessa brought her finger to her mouth and blew, letting out a sharp whistle that made Pikachu wince. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the unmistakable noise of one of Pyramid Head's hellhounds came up.

The skinned dog came trotting up, growling slightly as it's deadly claws clacked on the sidewalk. Blood dripped from it's mouth, telling the two girls it had eaten fresh meat recently. Misty suppressed a shiver at the sight of the monstrosity. She then noticed Alessa was suppressing a shiver herself as the creature came right up to her.

Taking a step backward, Alessa held the cap at arm's length, trying to distance herself from the dog-thing. Her expression was not particularly calm. "We need his scent. His scent. You know it, find him!" she commanded frantically. Misty was very surprised to Alessa so unnerved.

The creature sniffed the hat briefly, continually growling and snarling. The girl in blue was trying not to look at the dog longer than she had to, her arm shaking very slightly. Misty blinked to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Was Alessa acting scared?

Alessa abruptly shifted her arm away from the skinned dog. "Now go! Go find him now!" she stammered. The dog let out a very low growl, but turned around and began sniffing the air. Barking once, it began walking down the deserted streets, searching for Ash's scent.

Alessa breathed a sigh of relief now that the dog was gone. Misty stared at her with a very puzzled expression.

Alessa noted the strange look Misty and Pikachu were giving her. She bluntly answered their unspoken question. "What? I hate dogs."

Misty was about to comment when a noise was heard. The skinned beast let out a bark, signalling that it had found Ash's scent. Alessa and Misty turned to the sound.

"His hellhounds can find anything and anyone given an article of their target." Alessa explained. "We just need to follow that dog to Ash Ketchum. Then we can negotiate the end of this lunacy."

Misty gulped hard and began to walk after the nightmarish hellhound, accompanied by the one-eyed empress of Silent Hill. Here she was, among murderers and monsters to save the friend who was partially responsible for this madness.

It had been a very disturbing couple of days. But Misty could see the end in sight. It was still a fair distance away, but the end of this nightmare was getting closer and closer. And she would see this through to the end. For her friends. For the survivors of Kalville. For Ash Ketchum.

By all that was holy, this would be over soon.


	34. Chapter 33

The two girls followed the dog – Alessa once referred to it as a 'Feral' – through the dead town. They passed between vacated buildings, ruined stalls and shattered windows. Thankfully, there were no corpses to see in this block. That made Misty confused. These things were marauders…why weren't more people killed? Of course she was glad that a lot of people had survived, but it seemed very odd that there wasn't as much death as she would've expected.

The Feral would bark every so often, informing the girls of it's presence and the fact it was on Ash's trail. Every time it barked, Alessa flinched. Misty shook her head in amusement. She found it quite funny that this murderous empress, who was responsible for countless abominations and horror of this town, was so nervous around this 'dog' of her own creation. Of course, a dog like this would make anyone scared, but hadn't she made it herself?

Then again, Ash had made those things…Misty shook her head clear and focused on getting to her friend.

The two girls barely spoke on the way to Ash's location. Misty still cast an occasional frosty glance at Alessa, but the girl in blue showed no sign that her opinion of her meant anything. Pikachu never stopped glaring at the girl.

After several minutes of walking through the town, the Feral they were following began to snarl and bark excitedly. Alessa and Misty saw the creature stop in the middle of the road, evidently to investigate something of interest. It was difficult to make out what the dog was sniffing at with the fog, so Misty quickly hurried ahead to get a better look. Alessa followed close behind.

Misty skidded to a halt almost a foot away from the demon dog. The scene was anything but pretty. At first glance, it looked like the corpses Misty had expected to see had all placed themselves here, with the tiny knives of the Cubone creatures imbedded in their flesh. However, a closer look revealed nonexistent faces and a conspicuous absence of blood. More monsters.

"Representations of the people who died here." Alessa remarked, making Misty conscious of the girl behind her. She quickly whirled around, not sure if she expected the girl to be carrying a knife.

She wasn't. Misty shook her head clear and responded curtly. "I wasn't asking."

Alessa shrugged slightly before turning her gaze to something behind Misty. The cerulean gym leader noticed her eye shift and became curious as to what the empress was looking at. However, she was still not sure about turning her back to this girl. With Pikachu keeping a careful eye on Alessa, Misty gradually turned to see what the empress was looking at.

She gasped.

The dog was licking a puddle of blood in the centre of the road. The puddle left a crimson stain on the pavement, a horrifically bright contrast to the dull greys of the town. And that blood hadn't come from the creatures.

Misty ran up to the puddle, heedless of the Feral close by. Alessa tentavely followed her. Completely ignoring the skinned hellhound nearby, Misty kneeled down and touched the puddle with her fingers. Pikachu looked down, a troubled expression on his face.

"Ash…" Misty gulped.

Alessa moved to another side of the puddle, only to bump into the hellhound. "GAH! Shoo, SHOO!" The Feral growled and slunk away, much to Alessa's relief.

Misty hadn't noticed her. "Does…does this mean…"

"No." Alessa interrupted. "There isn't enough here. Besides, if the one holding the power had died, Silent Hill would've reacted accordingly. We'd have noticed."

Misty blinked. "Reacted accordingly, what do you mean?"

"It would've died along with it's emperor."

Misty stared at Alessa hard.

Alessa, reading her mind, sighed. An expression of genuine sadness came over her face. "I know what you're thinking. Believe me, I tried. Several times. But…this body Dakos gave me won't die. Some sort of healing factor in the genes." The empress shook her head. "I still wonder how he got this body for me to inhabit, and how to make it so specific to his needs."

Misty thought back to Alessa's abrupt healing at the antique store. The empress had tried to kill herself right after she was born again, but failed. That made sense. But that raised another question in Misty's mind. She pointed to the bleeding eye socket in Alessa's face. "Then why hasn't _that_ healed?"

All Alessa could do was shrug. "Why haven't I died of bleeding or an infection?" Clearly, she had no real answer herself.

Misty shook her head and focused on Ash. Her gaze returned to the small puddle. "What happened, then?"

"Here?"

"Yes." Misty said flatly.

Alessa looked over the dead faceless monsters. "My guess? Ash came here and was beaten by these manifestations."

"Wait…" Misty interrupted. "Why? He knew what was going on, why would he _will_ these things to attack him?"

"Penance." Alessa answered. Kneeling down near one of the creatures, Alessa pulled out a tiny knife. "However, he was saved from death by his…children."

"Don't call those things his children." Misty muttered.

Alessa smiled thinly. "What would you call them, then?"

"Freaks."

"You can't just go with that. And technically, that's incorrect."

"Monsters?"

"That's a blanket statement. I'm asking about specific creatures."

Misty groaned. "Okay. Umm…Cubone?"

"They're based on Cubone. They're not Cubone."

"Oh for…what would you call them then?"

Alessa turned the knife over in her hands. "Things like those appeared during the first manifestation of my powers. My father simply called them 'Grey Children'. Not the most imaginative of names, but it suited them fine."

Misty shook her head. Why was she having this discussion? Time to end it and get back on track. "Ok, Skull Children. Now, where's Ash?"

"Not sure about that name…" Alessa mumbled under her breath. "The 'skull children' saved him…and judging by that streak of blood, dragged or carried him away from here." Pointing to a trail of red, Alessa followed it with her finger until she was pointing at a nearby building. "He'll be in there."

Misty followed Alessa's pointing finger. The building that Ash was in was a large, single-story schoolhouse with a disused playground in front. The paint was ridiculously bright, a jarring difference from the rest of the fog-covered town. Obnoxious green and pink borders complete with smiley faces plastered over the windows announced that this was a happy place for children to learn and laugh and play. In bright daylight, maybe it was. Now, it just looked very off-putting. The front door had it's locks scratched off, with several dulled blades scattered nearby.

Misty didn't waste any time, and ran for the door. She had to get to Ash now. Running like a Rapidash, Misty burst through the door loudly and dramatically. "ASH? ASH?"

"SHHHHH!" A hissing voice suddenly shushed her. Misty looked to her left and saw one of the Skull Children. "Daddy's resting." It whispered.

Misty was ready to hit the little creature, but stopped herself with a sigh. Alessa calmly walked in glancing at the creature. "Where is he?"

The Cubone monster's eye glared ferociously at the empress. However, it didn't attack. "Daddy's not talking to you." It hissed.

Alessa wasn't the least bit surprised by the news.

Misty looked around the area. The interior to the school was just as desperately cheerful as the exterior. Bright banners welcomed new students to Kalville elementary, with the classic motivational posters pasted on the walls to encourage them to learn. There was an 'art board', showcasing the art of some of the younger children. Misty took a closer look. She wasn't sure if these were childish drawings of Pokemon or childish drawings of Silent Hill monsters. That line seemed to blur more than she liked to admit.

Alessa sighed. "Sad."

Misty turned to look at Alessa. "Sad?"

"What? Are you surprised I actually have emotions?" Alessa remarked before turning to one of the posters. "I never cared much for school. But it's still sad what happened."

"What do you mean?"

Alessa turned to look at Misty, and the gym leader could see genuine emotion in her expression. "The people who built this place had nothing but bright hopes. A future for this town. The new…entertainment district of the country, or just a good place to raise families. And it all went to hell because they picked the wrong location. Because of the history of this town."

"Because of you." Misty retorted.

Alessa didn't deny that, but brought up something else. "From what I've learned, this town has had difficulties retaining visitors years before I was brought back. It's like I said before. Bad vibes. This damn place is cursed."

"Well, you're the empress."

Alessa blinked. "Do you honestly think I wanted to take over this town? I was resurrected months before you arrived. If I really wanted to take over, I would've done it then. It would've been easy for the eeeeevil empress of Silent Hill. Believe it or not, Misty, I DIDN'T want this to happen."

Misty had to admit Alessa had a point, and something told the gym leader that the empress was being sincere. She still wasn't certain how to feel about the girl, but eventually decided to worry about more important things. What she should be focusing on was how to end this nightmare, not how it started or who was to blame. Once they were out of this town and could have some semblance of normal life, they'd forget about this damned place and move on. There was no point in focusing on the past. Not here and not now.

Pikachu sniffed something that grabbed his attention. The Pokemon immediately hopped off Misty's shoulder and ran desperately through the deserted hallways of the school. Misty and Alessa quickly followed the yellow mouse even as it darted off faster than they could run after it. Misty knew exactly what Pikachu was after.

The two girls skidded to a halt at a classroom door, where Pikachu had stopped and was staring inside. Alessa and Misty looked inside to a very bizarre scene.

The entire classroom was crowded with the skull children, sitting on the desks, chairs and shelves like schoolchildren at storytime. They were all paying rapt attention to Ash Ketchum, who was sitting in a chair numbly reading aloud a children's fairy tale. He was sloppily bandaged in several places, and several red stains on those bandages told of deep cuts. There was no element of fear or apprehension in his voice…just a melancholy acceptance.

"Upon hearing this, the hunter armed himself with bows and arrows and said, 'I will slay the lizard'. But upon meeting his opponent, he held back, taunting. 'Who's afraid of a reptile?'"

Pikachu and Misty stood in the doorway, unsure what to make of the scene and too nervous to enter the room filled with the knife-wielding Cubone creatures.

Misty blinked. "Why is he…?"

"Shock." Alessa simply answered. When Misty was looking at her, the empress gestured towards a door across the hall. "Speak to him. I'll be in the other room." Before Misty could argue, Alessa had already walked away.

Misty looked back at Ash, who was still numbly narrating the story to his 'children'. The gym leader shook her head with pity and allowed Ash to finish the story before she moved.

"At this, the furious lizard hissed, 'I'll swallow you up in a single bite!' Then the creature attacked, jaws open wide. That was what the man wanted. Calmly drawing his bow, he shot into the lizard's gaping mouth. Effortlessly, the arrow flew, piercing the defenceless maw, and the lizard fell down dead. And everyone lived happily ever after."

Misty took Pikachu onto her shoulder and stepped into the classroom. The second she entered, every skull child present turned to look at her, causing her to pause in surprise. However, none of them moved, and Misty got the nerve to keep walking towards Ash.

The boy didn't look up, but Misty felt Ash had noticed her presence. He was just too ashamed to look her in the eye. Misty slowly stepped through the class of knife-wielders that never took their eyes off her. Pikachu sparked slightly, to keep the children from changing their minds and attacking. Luckily they never did.

Not saying a word, Misty sat beside the shell-shocked Ash Ketchum. The boy still didn't move and avoided her gaze.

"Hey." Misty greeted. Ash didn't respond. "Can we talk?"

Ash eventually sighed. "Daddy needs to be alone."

The skull children looked confused – or looked as confused as their skulls could show – and hesitated for a minute, but eventually shuffled out of the room. In a few minutes, it was only Ash, Misty and Pikachu in the quiet classroom. Once the skull children were out, Pikachu hopped off Misty's shoulder and landed on Ash's lap. The boy didn't respond.

Misty started to talk. "Ash, this isn't your fault. You know that."

Silence.

"There was no way you could've known about this. I mean, we know you Ash. You'd never mean to…"

"I did."

"What?"

"Do you know what I almost did? When I found out about the gas?" Ash stammered, trying to hold back a sob. "Do you know what I _wanted_ to do? I nearly killed them...had them killed…"

Misty's eyes went wide, understanding what Ash was talking about. "Did you…"

"No but…" Ash gulped for air, tears appearing in his eyes. "I _wanted_ to, I was willing to…Created a monster on purpose, willed it to…I almost…"

"You didn't, Ash. That's what's important." Misty gulped.

"No it isn't! I nearly murdered them! I nearly…" Ash's head fell into his hands. "I'm going nuts, aren't I? I'm turning into… her."

Misty didn't answer, not sure how to respond. What could she tell him? The two sat in silence for another few minutes.

Ash finally took a deep breath and raised his head. "You and the others shouldn't have followed me here. You don't have to stay. I'll get you a ride…"

"Ash…"

"Suh-seriously. I'll make something…I think there's a bus still in town…I can…"

"But…but what about you? What will you do?"

"I'm staying here."

Misty gasped. "No! You can't just do that?"

"Why not? I'm the emperor now. You know what'll happen if I leave…I need to stay here…"

"Ash, no! Alessa…"

"DON'T SAY HER NAME!" Ash snapped, immediately regretting it. "Misty…I – I belong here now, I can't…"

"ASH, SNAP OUT OF IT!" Misty slapped Ash across the face, overcome with frustration. Ash clutched his cheek, staring at Misty with a shocked expression.

Misty started to rant, forcing Ash to look her in the eye. "Listen to me, Ash. You do NOT belong here. This is not your home. Is that what you want? Moping about in this demented rathole for the rest of your life? Ash, you have a _life _outside of here. Your friends. Your mother. The tournaments. Being a Pokemon master. You're really gonna give all that up because things got crazy here?"

Ash blinked. "But…how…"

"Al…she did this, she can fix it. Talk to her. Please, think about it. Don't you want to have a normal life? She can take back what's hers, and we can leave. Forget this place. Have our lives back." Misty clasped Ash's bandaged hands. "I'll stay with you, Ash. I am NOT leaving without you. We can end this nightmare. Please. Don't just give up."

Nobody moved for a moment, as Ash digested what Misty had said to him. Jessie's words to his creature came up in his head as well. Pikachu looked up at it's master, waiting for his reaction.

Tears sprung in Ash's eyes and he suddenly embraced Misty in a tight hug. The girl had the breath knocked out of her, but she didn't complain.

"Thank you…" Ash gulped, his breath still hoarse from the sob.

Misty patted her friend's back. "No problem. I'm not just gonna let you throw your life away."

Pikachu breathed a sigh of relief from where he was sitting. Things were beginning to look up again.

After a few minutes, Ash ended the embrace. The trainer wiped his tears away, and Misty saw the determination and conviction return to his eyes. The Ash she knew was finally starting to come back.

"Alright. I'll talk to her. Let's finish this."


	35. Chapter 34

The second Ash got to his feet he nearly toppled over. Misty quickly grabbed him before he could hit the floor. Ash winced slightly as he tested out his leg. That beating he had taken earlier had left more of a mark on him than he thought. Misty had to carefully carry him across the hall to where Alessa was waiting.

Ash was in no way looking forward to talking to this girl again. But he had to do it. And now he knew that girl couldn't hurt him. Then again, he couldn't get any more hurt at the moment.

The room Alessa was waiting in was another classroom. The empress of Silent Hill was sitting on the teacher's desk, reading a thick book. "_'__Is not a silence brimming with love more precious than flattery? A peaceful slumber preferred to a throne besmirched with blood.'_" She remarked aloud, although it was unclear whether she was addressing the two children or not.

Ash tried to pull away from Misty to confront Alessa alone…only to rediscover his wounds and collapse in an undignified manner between the desks. "Owwww…"

"Does the term 'masochist' mean anything to you, Ash?" Alessa sighed, closing her book and digging into her purse. While Misty got Ash back up to his feet, Alessa produced a small brown bottle with 'DX' on the label. The empress tossed it to the two others, and Pikachu caught it in his paws.

"Drink it. It's a local specialty. Does wonders for wounds like yours. There isn't much of it left, however." She told Ash.

After a moment's hesitation, Ash took the bottle and had a drink. On swallowing the thick, nondescript liquid down, he felt better almost immediately. The pain in his leg dissappeared, and it felt like some of his cuts had stopped bleeding. Ash took a deep breath, feeling like himself again.

His face warped into a glare at Alessa. "What do you want?"

Alessa was blunt. "I want what's mine. I'd feel a little more secure if I had my powers back."

"So take it back. You can have it with my…"

"It's not that simple." Alessa interrupted. "My 'crown jewel' is valuable, but it's not the entirety of the matter. Dakos has my telekinesis, pyrokinesis, among others. And from what we've seen of that lunatic, it would be in everyone's best interest for ME to have that power instead of him. Surely, you can agree."

"Oh really?"

Alessa rolled her eyes at Ash's impudence. "Fair enough. But compare, if you will, a girl who has enough control, experience and maturity to keep this power under wraps for MONTHS on end vs a megalomaniacal lunatic who, within days of acquiring his power, proceeds to toss occupied cars around like a child with his toys."

Ash groaned. He had to admit Alessa had a point.

Alessa continued. "I can't get into that building. Neither can my creatures, or…well, your creatures. But you and your pet can. If you can infiltrate the building and destroy the force field generators - and take down Dakos as a bonus - I can take back what's mine and we can go back to our own lives."

Ash was about to speak, but Alessa stopped him. "Of course, you _could_ just leave. Go back to Pallet, try to have your life without bothering to help me. I won't stop you. But some food for thought. That power of mine? It will always follow. The power of Silent Hill can extend anywhere. I've seen it happen. All it needs is a conduit.

Now, imagine how much you'll be able to enjoy that life of yours, knowing that if you get a bit too angry, a bit too hateful, a bit too itempted/i, all this will happen again."

Ash didn't have an answer to that. All he could do was keep glaring at Alessa.

The one-eyed girl sighed. "Then again, there is a third option."

"There is?" Misty asked.

"Yes. We sit around glaring at each other until we die."

Having made her point, Alessa patiently waited for Ash to respond. For a few minutes, he didn't, going over his options in his head without a word. He never softened his glare at Alessa Gillespie, and the girl in blue didn't look the least bit phased.

He finally spoke again. "Misty, could you excuse us for a sec?"

Misty was confused, but after a moment's hesitation she quietly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Leaving Ash, Pikachu and Alessa in the room alone.

Ash turned to Alessa. "I don't like you."

Alessa smirked. "I never would've guessed."

"You're a sadistic, cold-blooded murderer. You've made countless people suffer, and a lot of people die. If I had my way, you'd be punished for every life you've taken. Every life you've destroyed."

Alessa blinked, but didn't deny Ash's allegations. Out loud, anyway.

"But…" Ash's head hung down in resignation. "I don't have much of a choice here, do I?"

"I'm afraid not." Alessa answered.

Ash took a deep breath and looked Alessa in the eye. "Fine. I'll do what you want. I'll go into Dakos' building.

On one condition."

"Oh, really? Name it."

* * *

Almost everyone in Kalville hospital had fallen asleep, hopefully free of any lingering nightmares. The first thing May did on waking up was check to see if Max was still nearby. On finding that he was, she took a deep breath of relief and did some thinking. Now that she had a chance to calm down, she was able to consider things a little better.

Was it really Ash's fault? He didn't ask for Alessa to give him that power. He didn't ask to be caught up in this mess. And, come to think of it, he didn't ask them to follow him. He'd never mean to do this…not willingly, anyway. This was just some demented army of coincidences with Ash caught up in the middle.

She hadn't been much help. At all. All she did was scream and rant – but who could blame her? It was totally understandable…but not much use. The last time she saw Ash, he and Misty were risking their lives to talk to that psycho Alessa for answers. And all she'd done was snap at them. Of course, her brother was missing, so she had reason to be upset…and yet it was them who saved him, not her.

But did it matter now? What could they do?

"Misty's gone."

May whirled around to see an incredibly stressed Brock walking up to her. "What?"

Brock looked ready to tear his hair out. "Misty's gone. I can't find her, she's gone!" He stammered, loud enough to wake Max up from his own sleep.

"Whassa? Maybe she just went to the store…" Max babbled, still half-asleep.

"No, Max. We're not in Petalburg. We're still in Kalville. And Misty just went out into the streets again!"

Max blinked himself awake. "Kalville? I was really hoping this was just a dream…"

"She went to find Ash." May deduced immediately.

"Yes but...where? She's not stupid enough to think she can just wander through the place and find him. And we can't look for her…at least, not without some clue or something…" Brock laid his face in his hands. "I don't know. I have no idea what to do next. I don't know where to go, what to say, how to get out of here…"

"Hey…" Max stopped Brock. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Sounded like a car coming up."

"It's probably one of the ambulances." One of the awake doctors remarked. "They've been going around bringing in these survivors."

May blinked. "Really?"

"You didn't think everybody just limped in here, did you?" the doctor chuckled bitterly.

Brock suddenly got up, a frantic hope in his eyes. "They've been around the town, maybe they know something, maybe they've seen them!" Before May or Max could stop him, he had already bolted, nearly tripping over some of the other patients.

May tried to go after him but quickly remembered the injuries that had kept her from going outside. Her bandaged cuts and bruises sang angrily when she tried to take a fast step forward. The girl winced in pain and nearly fell on her face.

Max quickly caught and supported his sister. With a rueful smile, May slowly but steadily limped out of the room using her brother as a crutch. Max groaned somewhat. "I'm really looking forward to getting out of here."

"Join the club." May sighed.

* * *

The ambulance had stopped right outside the hospital back entrance. Brock barrelled through the abandoned hallways like a Rhyhorn, heedless of anything other than the back entrance. He completely ignored any nurses, faceless or otherwise, that he might've passed by. All he cared about was getting that one lead he had learned of.

Finally, he burst through the door. What he saw made him freeze in his tracks.

The ambulance was parked almost right up to the door, carrying an unconscious man strapped to a table. With him were a rather terrified woman and child, shivering nervously but surprisingly calm, as if they somehow knew they weren't in danger but were still very afraid. They had good reason.

The nurses that had brought them here were the faceless ones. The ones that had ambushed and kidnapped Brock and his friends. The ones that had been lurking throughout the town.

The mother, doing her level best to put on a brave face for her daughter, whispered to the child. "See? We're…at the hospital. Um…" The lady glanced at the twitching heads of the nurses. "Say…thank you?"

The child looked at the creature dressed in white scrubs and stammered. "Um…thu-thu-thank you?"

The faceless nurse gave no response whatsoever. It and it's companions simply wheeled out the unconscious man. They did it with the carefulness and calm of any human nurse.

Brock blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things. What the heck was going on?

Max and May quickly lost sight of Brock, with the way he ran and the way they limped. They hoped Brock hadn't gotten himself hurt…or worse. A lot could happen in this town, and it was common knowledge that those monster nurses were crawling all around the hospital. No-one seemed concerned about that though…it was weird, now that May thought about it…

May and Max rounded a corner and stopped in their tracks. Several of those nurses were gathered around someone they knew, but that person wasn't the least bit frightened or nervous. In fact, she seemed perfectly in control of the situation.

"Okay…Check the East Side now. That should be the entire town. The monsters have let up, but keep your posts at the windows, just in case. I've talked to Alessa, it might get messy later. Now then, we just need to wait for that ride…"

"_Lisa?"_

The nurse in red whirled around to see May and Max staring at her in disbelief. The faceless nurses twisted their heads to 'face' the two, but didn't make any moves. The children just stared at the monsters and their apparent boss, not moving or speaking at all.

To make things even more complicated, Brock suddenly entered the picture. "Guys, you won't…" His mouth ran dry at the sight of Lisa and the other nurses. For a few seconds the world froze.

Lisa awkwardly made the faceless nurses leave, and they crawled off into the shadows. The three children kept staring at her harshly.

"I…" the nurse stammered. "I can explain…"

"You'd better." Max groaned. Just when things couldn't possibly get weirder.

Misty drummed her fingers on the wall nervously. When was Ash coming out? What was he talking about with Alessa? Would he accept her deal? Would he do was she wanted? Why did she have to leave the room? These questions and more kept going through her head and no answers came to her.

After what seemed like a long time but was really only a few minutes, Ash and Alessa finally left the room. Alessa was looking at Ash rather strangely.

"You're insane, Ash. Insane, masochistic and with almost no regard for your own life. You know that, don't you?" She asked.

"Do you want Dakos or not, empress?" Ash retorted.

Alessa simply sighed. "Right. Very well, I agree to your condition. I'll be seeing you later." Alessa closed the door shut, leaving Ash outside.

Misty went up to Ash and Pikachu. "What did you - ?"

Ash stopped her from further inquiry. "It doesn't matter right now. Let's go. Time to finish this."

Misty was about the question further, but decided against it. Whatever he and Alessa had talked about, it could wait until after they were free of this nightmare. Alessa's words still troubled her…what was Ash's 'condition'? And why did Alessa, the murderous empress of the realm of nightmares, consider it insane?

Misty suddenly decided she didn't need or want to know. She and Ash simply walked down the hall, starting the long walk to Dakos' building.

* * *

"You're working with Alessa." Max established. Max, May, Brock and Lisa had all adjourned to an empty hospital room so that Lisa could give her explanation. The children were all glaring at her, not certain why.

Lisa didn't try to deny it. "Yes."

"But…why?" Brock asked, more than a little shocked. "Why would you work with that monster?"

"She is not a monster!" Lisa snapped back, startling Brock. After a moment, Lisa sighed and sat back in her chair. "At least…she wasn't at first…"

"How would you know that?"

Lisa's expression became sorrowful, bitter memories coming to her. "I was her nurse. When this town was Silent Hill."

Everyone's eyes went wide. "Wuh-wait. So you're…not…really…" Brock stammered.

"No." Lisa sighed. "Can I explain now? Please?"

Nobody denied her.

"The ritual that gave Alessa her…powers burned her. Burned her entire body. I don't know what would've happened if she hadn't been…rescued by a passerby. Travis Grady. He was…a lot like Ash, actually. After the ritual, her mother hid her in the hospital and claimed to everyone she was dead.

I was assigned to take care of her. Keep it quiet. Changed her bandages, kept her company, fed her. The burns were horrible…the girl was in so much pain. And they would not heal…every time I changed her bandages, they just keep bleeding and oozing. She stayed in pain for years, not healing or even just dying, because of some spell her monster of a mother cast.

I'm shocked it didn't drive her insane. It drove me nuts. I tried to get out…the doctor had to use blackmail to keep me on, but that only took for so long. I tried to tell the authorities…or maybe I just tried to run away, it's hard to remember. But the doctor caught me and…killed me."

Lisa paused for a moment, letting those facts sink into her audience's minds. No-one else spoke, and Lisa eventually continued.

"That wasn't the end of it, though. You see…in a desperate ploy to keep this 'god' from being born, Alessa had split her soul in two. One half stayed in the hospital, the other half was adopted. I think that was how she managed to hold on. The other half of her soul was eventually brought back to Silent Hill, to complete the ritual and birth 'god'.

That was when the insanity started, really. Alessa took over the town to try and impede the ritual…unfortunatly, her adoptive father, Harry, got caught in the middle. One of the few people who ever showed her affection. So, to help him, she brought back the nurse that treated her decently."

"You."

"Yeah. I didn't know at the time, though. All I knew was…what Alessa needed me to tell Harry. To help him find his daughter. Get through the town. When I figured it out though…Harry panicked. I couldn't blame him." Lisa sighed sadly, glancing a Brock for a moment.

Max gulped, his expression a little softer. "Then what happened?"

Lisa shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I…died again. Alessa told me Harry got his daughter back. That was all that mattered."

Brock sighed. "That's good…I guess, but what about now? What's going on now?"

Lisa took a deep breath. "History…repeats itself. Alessa could tell something like this would happen the second she was reborn. So she…got some measures together. In case everything went to hell."

"The nurses."

"Exactly. She made them as a sort of…precaution. And put the first person she thought of in charge of them." She shrugged, not sure if it was an honor or not. "Alessa didn't want any more innocent casualties in the case of another episode…as few as possible, at least. So, when Dakos took her and everything went crazy, I had these nurses go out. Round up any survivors and bring them here to be treated and kept safe. Alessa and…the executioner took a few of them, to use as bodyguards and…enforcers."

"They were taking us to the stadium. So Pyramid Head could show Ash the truth sooner." Max abruptly deduced.

"Is that what they…yes, I suppose." Lisa finished. "And now, here we are. Almost everyone who couldn't leave the town in time is in the hospital, safe until we could find a way out for everyone." Lisa's head sank. "Please don't hate me."

Nobody spoke for a while. Lisa's explanation was very revealing…no-one was sure how to react to this news. Suddenly, things were even more complicated then before. Apparently Alessa wasn't nearly as inhuman as they thought. But what now? How did that affect what was happening with Ash and Misty?

Eventually, May took a very deep breath and started speaking. "We don't hate you, Lisa."

The nurse looked up, surprised.

"You've helped us out…helped a lot of people…and things are just too crazy for us to hate you.

But…just tell us. What does Alessa want? Where's Ash? We have to find him. We need to help him. Please. Just tell us."

Lisa was stunned at May's calm, sincere response. It wasn't what she had been expecting at all. A few tears sprung up in her eyes, though she quickly wiped them away and gave a weak smile.

"Alright. I'll tell you."


	36. Chapter 35

Dakos' office building should have been destroyed. Ever since the fog first descended, the place had been under attack by the monsters and manifestations of the town. Abominations resembling Machamp, Absol, Marowak and Dustox were slashing and snarling at the skyscraper.

But their fangs, blades and bludgeons kept stopping short of the walls and windows. The barrier around the building prevented the monsters from so much as scratching the paint. Ash and Misty watched the frustrated and futile efforts of the creatures to breach the evil king's stronghold. The twisted Pokemon snarled and screeched inhuman declarations of rage at Dakos. Several of the creatures had given up and settled for ripping apart the campaign posters and flyers scattered about.

Misty turned to Ash. "It's like you knew it was him all along."

Ash didn't disagree with Misty. He watched his manifestation hack at Dakos' image, expressing the rage and hatred he himself wouldn't at the murderer and psychopath. If it hadn't been for Dakos' actions, none of this would've happened. That thought kept his creatures going.

Ash took a deep breath, stroking Pikachu's head for luck. "Let's just do this." He stated. Misty and Pikachu didn't argue.

This was dangerous, to say the very least. Dakos was incredibly powerful and dangerous. He was somewhere inside that building, and they were going inside to confront him. Once they were inside, Ash's 'children' wouldn't be able to aid them in any way. Dakos could easily kill them. But they had to do this.

They were still smart about it. Rather than go through the front door (which would be secured and was currently blocked by the creatures) the two children walked around to the back of the building. A back entrance would be a little bit safer. Their best bet was to sneak into the building and get to Dakos before he could detect them. After that…

There was something even better. At the back of the building was a parking garage, and the door was wide open. The garage itself was empty. Any cars or trucks that had been parked inside were gone, taken in a hurry to escape. Misty hoped that they had gotten away. An Absol and Machamp were throwing themselves at the barrier, completely enraged by the apparent easy access they were denied.

A terrible thought came to Misty. "Do you think Dakos…"

"No. If he was bold enough to get out, he would've gone after Alessa right away. Besides, these things knew where Team Rocket and Alessa were before I did. They would've followed him. He's inside." Ash sighed.

The two creatures turned around and snarled at the two children. Misty worried for a second that Ash still couldn't control these things, but they didn't attack.

"Move." Ash commanded. The creatures growled and stayed put.

"**MOVE!**" The tone of Ash's voice made Misty jump. She had never heard him like this before.

The creatures grudgingly obeyed their 'emperor', walking out of the children's way. Ash took Misty's hand and led her past the creatures, into the garage. The barrier didn't stop them, and they were quickly inside…

And Ash suddenly doubled over, exclaiming in pain. Misty quickly kneeled down in concern. "What's wrong?"

Ash looked up, his hand over his left eye. Blood was trickling out between his fingers and onto his face. "I'm fine. Just…my eye…"

There was a minute of silence as wheels turned in the two children's heads. Eventually, they both had a realization that made them gasp.

"Oh my god…" Misty gulped.

Ash simply got up and groaned, clutching his eye to prevent more blood from dripping out. "I'm gonna _kill_ her next time." He muttered under his breath.

* * *

"May, you REALLY don't need to come."

This wasn't the first time Max had said that, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again, Max. And I'm not sitting around in the hospital, I'm sick of that place."

Brock tried to dissuade her. "But May, you're still hurt. If something happens…"

"Brock, stop it. Let's just go." May was in no mood to argue. Brock and Max sighed and kept walking.

The three had left the hospital, and were walking to the building they recognized as Dakos'. It was still a small distance away, but the tall building – as well as the creatures desperately attacking it – was visible through the fog.

They had to get to Ash. Lisa had told them about Alessa's plan and where Ash would be going. He'd need help. They had no idea how to help when they got there, but they'd think of something, hopefully. They couldn't sit around and wait any longer.

May's leg seemed to be a lot better. She was barely using her crutch, although she held on to it just in case. Lisa's bandaging job – and that drink she had given them just before they left – had done wonders. Still, she walked fairly slowly, as some of the pain was still there. The group also had to be cautious, in case of another attack.

May felt a small hand tug at her skirt.

"Max, I told you…" the girl started until she realized Max was still in front of her. May quickly spun around, brandishing her crutch like a club.

It was one of the skull children, but it didn't have a knife in hand. It was holding the rusted brown pyramid 'Alyx' had given Ash in the restaurant. The demon cage she'd said would bring luck. The tiny creature stood on it's tiptoes, holding up the strange artifact.

"Daddy dropped this." It explained. "Can you bring it to him? He might need it."

May hesitated for a second, still ready to bring the crutch crashing down on this thing's skull. Max and Brock didn't move for a few seconds, as if waiting for May to make up her mind what to do.

Eventually May took a deep breath and took the pyramid from the creature's hands. The object seemed to buzz in her grip. The creature, pleased that it had accomplished what it needed to do, scuttled back into the fog. May caught herself wondering what would happen to these creatures when this was all over.

She shook her head clear, placing the pyramid into her backpack. "C'mon. We can get there in a few minutes."

* * *

Ash and Misty crept through the lit hallways of Dakos' building. If it wasn't for the dead silence and the occasional bloodstain, this would've resembled a typical office building. Misty guessed that Dakos was a businessman or financier of some sort before he decided to run for mayor. Before he decided he could take the power of Silent Hill for himself.

The two children stayed wary of any guards. Misty would've thought that any guards would have escaped, but she kept hearing the noises of people inside. Scared whimpering and heavy breathing came from locked rooms in the hallways. Employees of Dakos who were too scared to go outside but were well aware of how dangerous their employer had become.

Ash and Misty were walking through one of the hallways, Ash still holding his bleeding eye. A red stream was starting to trickle down his shirt and vest. Misty and Pikachu kept looking around, keeping an eye open for anything dangerous. There seemed to be something further down the hall…Pikachu began to spark his cheeks in preparation.

"Wh-what are you kids doing here?" A hushed voice scared them, and they whirled around to see two scared eyes peeping out from a mail slot. "Nobody brings their kids to work. Especially not on a day like this…"

Misty gulped. "We're…we're looking for Dakos."

"Are you insane? You saw him didn't you? Down the hall? He did that without even looking at the guy!"

Misty and Ash looked where the scared eyes darted to. The thing at the end of the hallway was a human. A man in a business suit, carrying a briefcase. A red splatter on the wall colored the place where his head should've been. Written in blood next to him were the words 'I HAVE THE POWER NOW', no doubt written by a power-crazed Dakos.

"Oh man…" Ash gulped. He then shook his head clear. "We still need to find him. Do you know where his…office is?"

"He won't be in there…I guess it'll be okay then…take a left at the end of the hall and…just…follow the blood. It'll be marked. I can't talk anymore…he might hear me…" And with that, the scared eyes were gone.

Ash and Misty both took a deep breath and kept walking. They tried to walk even quieter than before, if it was even possible. Approaching the worker's corpse was anything but pleasant. Misty had to shut her eyes and have Ash guide her until they were away from the callously murdered man.

It only got worse. The eye's words 'follow the blood' made very vivid sense. The hallways leading to Dakos' office had corpses and crazed scrawlings on the walls, marking the way to the maniac's office. 'Long live the emporer! It's not fair! No one defies me! What happened?', among others. Alessa hadn't been kidding when she said Dakos had gone mad with power. Misty guessed Dakos had made this blood trail coming back after finding out he wasn't in control of the monsters outside. It seemed there were more dead bodies in this building than they had seen in the town.

Dakos' office door was unmistakable. The blood trail led there, and the door itself had a plaque reading 'N. Dakos, supervisor'. Ash could barely read it under the blood reading 'THE EMPOURER OF SILENT HILL'. The boy groaned and opened the door.

Dakos' office would have to look respectable, as a mayoral candidate who'd be visited by the press. A large formal desk to sit behind, a big bookcase to look cultured and intelligent, and pictures of Pokemon to look like he had a heart. Now the desk had been ripped apart, the books were strewn around the room and the pictures were all bloodstained. The man must've thrown the mother of all tantrums when he got back to his room.

Misty nearly stumbled over a thick book. What exactly would they hope to find here? The eyes had told them Dakos wouldn't be here. What would be, except more blood and destruction? The residue of a madman's despair and rage at being cheated of his prize.

Only one book was left on the shelf. It stuck out like a sore thumb, and Ash couldn't resist the urge to touch it. Every other book had been torn out of the shelf. What was special about this one?

He got his answer when pulling the book out produced a dull _click_.

The bookshelf shifted, causing Ash to step back in surprise. Like a scene out of an old detective movie, the entire shelf shifted to the side, opening the way to a secret passageway. The very first thing they saw made them gasp.

Dakos had gathered multiple records and pictures of Alessa Gillespie and Silent Hill, and had hung them on a wall in a room directly across from his office. String had been tied around them, likely representing connections. Ash saw his picture there, and a chill went down his spine. A folder marked 'Team Rocket Confidential: Project Gemini' hung nearby, empty.

Intersperced with the pictures were drawings of hideous abominations and cities, with memos describing in manic detail what Dakos would do with his power. Images of Dakos' statue scrawled over recognizable landmarks sat beside laws detailing the legal power Dakos would wrest for himself. Monsters that Dakos would customize were shown tearing through the streets of towns, ravaging anyone who opposed Dakos' new rule.

"I'm suddenly not so angry at Alessa." Ash remarked.

Misty shook her head numbly. Dakos clearly had big plans for domination when he got the empress' power. No wonder Alessa had made it a priority to keep her greatest power away from him.

Misty gulped hard. "So what now?"

"Nothing." A menacing voice behind them answered, cocking a shotgun at their heads. The children heard the gun and became paralyzed with fear.

"Don't turn around. And don't use that Pikachu. One zap and… bang." The voice chuckled. "Your little adventure is over."

* * *

The man was suddenly cut off by a loud alarm.

The other group quickly noticed the wide open garage, but they also noticed the monstrous Absol and Machamp slamming themselves at the force field. Not wanting to get anywhere near these dangerous creatures – especially when they were so angry – May and Brock began looking for an alternate way in.

At first glance, it seemed that there wasn't any other entrances, aside from the front door and the garage. As they circled the building they were nearly stepped on by some of the larger creatures. Thankfully, the monsters seemed to be ignoring them. Nevertheless, nobody said a word, not wanting to draw their attention. Manifestations under Ash's control or not, these creatures were incredibly dangerous.

Eventually, May noticed something. He pointed out a doorway that had nearly been concealed by paint, an emergency exit on the side of the building. The monsters hadn't noticed it, and weren't charging at it. Cautiously and quickly, they ran to the entrance and opened the door. It opened to a slightly dark hallway with plenty of wires and pipes on the ceiling.

Unfortunately, emergency exits set off an alarm when they're used improperly.

The entire building was filled with noise, deafening the children for a second. When they uncovered their ears, they could hear footsteps.

"Oh great." May groaned.

"RUN!" Brock yelled, and the three began to run. Not outside, for then they'd be back at square one. Instead, they ran into the hallway, desperately hoping they could find some place to hide or something to do.

Max noticed the wires had arrows on the tubing, to assist engineers in finding the generator room. He quickly got an idea. Nudging Brock to follow, he ran in the direction of the arrows, down several stairs and through several doors. Nobody stopped to question him…at this point, anything resembling a plan was a good plan.

Max kept his eye on the wiring, and didn't see the man standing ahead. The boy ran into the scientist, and toppled onto his back. The scientist looked down furiously at the child. "What the hell are you – "

CLUNK!

May's crutch came down hard on his head, knocking him unconscious. May was personally relieved to hear the scientist groan in his sleep. Max turned to his sister. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." May sighed.

Max noticed the keycard on the doctors shirt and grabbed it without a second thought. The wires all led and pointed to a door nearby, marked 'Authorized Personnel Only; Generator Room'.

May blinked. "Max, what are you doing?"

Max went to access the room with the stolen keycard. "If we cut off the power, we can shut off the alarm. And it might help if the security is in the dark."

May sighed. "Turn off all the lights? That's…not a good plan."

"Got any better ones?" Max ruefully retorted as the door opened and the boy stepped inside. Groaning with resignation, May and Brock followed him.

There were three generators inside. Two of them were plain grey turbines, humming with a noise that almost drowned out the alarm. The other was a larger turbine with several cords, junction boxes and antennas attached. It looked like something out of a spy movie, with electricity running between the antennae and large spherical things on top. Max quickly guessed it was the main generator.

"So how do we stop these things?" May was looking around for a switch to flip, a cord to kick out, a button to press. It didn't look like there was anything readily available.

Using the security keycard, Max opened one of the junction boxes on the larger turbine. To his surprise, there was a single large switch, labelled 'Emergency Deactivation'. Max would've thought there would be a more complicated system in order to cut off the power, but then again, in an emergency you'd need something fast.

And they needed something fast, too. Heavy footsteps were getting closer and closer to the room. Brock tried to barricade the door with a nearby toolbox and some crates. Whoever was on the other side of the door began to bang. Without thinking, Max pulled the switch.

The large generator began to fizzle, the electric arcs disappearing with a low crackle. The turbine itself buzzed slower and slower, and the hum this particular turbine was producing died out. Lights on the machine dimmed and shut down, and the entire became quiet.

"Yes!" Max exclaimed in small triumph.

BOOM

May noticed something strange. "But…the lights are still on and the alarm's still going."

BOOM

Max blinked. "What?"

BOOM

The banging at the door suddenly stopped.

BOOM

Max scratched his head, turning back to the defunct generator. "Then…what did this do?"

BOOM

"Did you hear that?" May gasped.

BOOM

"What the hell…" A voice behind the door remarked.

BOOM

"It's coming from behind the generator…" Brock gulped.

**BOOM**

The wall behind the generator buckled inward.

**BOOM**

Max suddenly realized what that machine had been doing.

**BOOM**

"MOVE!" May grabbed Max and they quickly pressed themselves against the walls

**_CRASSHSHSHSHH!_**

A horrific worm burst through the wall and crushed the Force Field Generator, reducing the machine to scraps of worthless, powerless metal. Huge fleshy jaws devoured whatever remained of the turbine, it's huge teeth slicing the antennae and junction boxes. Once it had consumed it's 'meal', the colossal worm quickly slithered forward, thankfully sliding past the three children jamming themselves into the wall.

"Onix." Brock breathed.

The mutilated, dirt-covered Silent Hill version of Onix smashed through the door opposite. The guards on the other side barely had time to scream. The worm's long tail vanished through the shattered doorway, the creature itself vanishing into the ground underneath the basement.

The alarm continued, but something else could be heard. Screams. Human and monster alike.

"EAAAAAAUGH!"

"THEY'RE INSIDE!"

"SHREEEEEAUGHHH!"

"RUN! FORGET THE TRUCKS, JUST RUN!"

"GRARRRRRRRRRR!"

"AUUGHHHHH!"

All Max could mumble was "Oops."

* * *

Ash and Misty heard the screaming. So did the shotgun wielding security officer behind them. "What the hell…"

Misty and Ash still hadn't turned around, but the next thing they heard was their captor shrieking in absolute pain and fear, and the squishing sounds of blades cutting through flesh. A shot was fired, but it richoched harmlessly off another wall. The squishing and slashing noises drowned out the man's screams. And then…silence.

Ash's eye had stopped bleeding.

Eventually, the two got the nerve to turn around and look. Pikachu sparked his cheeks, ready for an attack. Misty took a moment to look at Ash as it sunk in what had happened.

The guard was dead, his body sprawled onto the floor. His head had been hacked to pieces, resulting in an unrecognizable mash of flesh and bone. And dangling over the body was…a doll, of sorts. The thing was hanging by it's neck, and seemed to be a patchwork of grey cloth and sharp objects. The blades in it's 'hands' hung limply down, splattered in blood. A zipper gave the creature a demented dead smile.

Ash's head fell into his hands, and he gave a long, sad, disgusted sigh. Now that the force field around the building was gone, these monsters were now free to get inside and hunt Dakos. He didn't know if this would be easier or harder, better or worse, with this development. One thing was certain.

This was going to be a lot messier than he had hoped it would be.


	37. Chapter 36

Max understood how Ash felt now.

Thanks to his mistake, those creatures were now able to get inside the building and tear everything to pieces. Screams of terror could still be heard, alongside the sounds of breaking glass and destroyed walls. Dakos' employees ran for their lives, hoping desperately to survive this nightmare that had penetrated their stronghold. They came in through the windows, through the walls, through the doorways, and through the tunnel the monstrous Onix had created. Brock's group huddled in the shadows of the generator room, watching the Silent Hill monstrosities run into the home of the emperor.

Luckily, the creatures mostly ignored them. May kept thinking that one of them would notice them in that shadows and attack. Ash would not be happy about this at all. But the abominations just streamed in and headed straight out, never noticing the children.

The Absols were at the front, followed by Ariados and Scyther…or maybe it was Kabutops. They yipped, yowled, screeched and laughed at the prospect of sinking their teeth into Dakos. Brock could see them licking their lips, and giving whatever impression of a smile they could. Ash's skull-headed 'children' came close behind, holding their blades high. The small legion disappeared into the darkness of the building's basement, and there was a moment of calm.

May was about to say something very angry to Max, but thought better of it. The girl rested her head in her palm and sighed.

"So. What do we do now?"

Max looked away. "Don't look at me. My 'plan' just…"

"Guys, SHHH!" Brock heard a low thumping coming from the tunnel. The children hushed and sunk back into the shadows.

Eventually, another creature appeared from the hole in the wall. At first glance, it seemed to be no different than the pink bloated creatures they had seen outside the antique store. But when the creature had dragged itself through the hole, a very painful-looking torture apparatus was shown to have been attached to it's back and tail. Rusty needles and knives dug into the pink flesh, and the entire thing slowed the creature down significantly. iSlowbro/i, Max deduced.

The creature painfully dragged itself further, the thing on it's back scraping the metal floor like nails on a chalkboard. Brock watched the thing struggle forward, and suddenly had an idea. "Hey…those things are going after Dakos." He whispered to the others. The creature didn't notice.

"We know that." May quietly retorted.

"So's Ash. Wherever Dakos is, Ash'll be there. Eventually."

"What are you suggesting? Just say it."

Brock motioned to the thing that had just passed by. It was almost at the doorway leading out of the generator room. "I suggest we follow that thing. Very quietly."

* * *

The passageway behind Dakos' bookshelf was much like the hidden passage in the antique shop, but with concrete walls rather than stone. The metal grating on the floor was somewhat cleaner, although drops of blood were visible on the floor. Dakos' fervent scrawlings on the walls ranted silently about how he was cheated of his kingdom, his power, his army. iIt's not fair it's not fair its not fair its not fair itsnotfair itsnotfair itsnotfairitsnotfair…/i

Misty had to shake her head at the words. Dakos really spent the entire time here, locking himself away in his building, crying about how he had lost? He would rather have just sulked and raved in his tower than try to escape or make another plan? Dakos seemed more like a spoiled child denied his toy than an evil mastermind.

Any pity evaporated when she saw what became of his Pokemon.

The Mr. Mime that had saved him from Pyramid Head's blades was strung up on one side of the hallway, and it was more horrific than any of the corpses Misty had witnessed earlier. The skin had been peeled off, and what was underneath had been burned. The end result was something that no longer resembled a Pokemon, with only it's general shape displaying it's former self. It's mouth was still open in an agonized scream.

_I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE_ was written in blood nearby.

Misty couldn't hold back the vomit this time, and was forced onto her hands and knees to unload her stomach onto the floor. When she was finally finished, she opened her eyes and saw something through the metal grate.

An army of the monsters were going through the hallways just below, likely having found or made another entrance. Monstrous abominations ran in a purposeful direction, cackling and snarling all the way. An Ariados passed under her, and Misty jumped back up to her feet.

"Wuh-we better keep moving." She managed to stammer.

"Yeah." Ash agreed, watching with fear and shame the procession of his creatures below.

Misty and Ash started walking forward, following the direction the beasts were going. Ash tried focusing all his anger at Dakos, the crazed murderer who killed Marcus, his coworkers, his own Pokemon, and made this entire place a living hell…if he focused on Dakos, those things would hopefully ignore anyone else. The thought of the monsters killing the innocent workers in the building made Ash's stomach churn…

Further down the hall, the secret area seemed to change. Rather than just a few blood splatters on the wall and floor, the entire place was coated in red and several arcane symbols were carved into the wall. Misty hoped it was just ceremonial paint. In order to keep what was left in her stomach inside, she kept telling herself it was just paint. Ash, on the other hand, suspected this was the fate of Dakos' science team after his disappointment.

On either side of the hallway, more of the Banette dolls seemed to be hanging in the air. They seemed to be even more distorted then the first one. The lower halves of their bodies had been torn off, reducing them to stitched heads on top of torsos and arms. The ropes strangled and bound them as their blades hung limply in the air. Their dead grins and button eyes, some of which were dangling by a string, observed the children as they walked forward. Ash and Misty pressed on, not paying them any mind.

Until they started whispering.

_Turn around._

_Go back._

_You want to._

"Are you trying to scare me, Ash?" Misty gulped.

Ash shook his head vigorously.

_Yes he is._

_That's all he's good for now._

_Shouldn't have followed him here._

"Ig-ignore them." Ash nervously asserted.

_You can't ignore us._

_We're you._

_We're more you than you._

"That's ridiculous." Ash tried to block them out, but their whispers kept coming through.

_Why do this for Alessa? You have the power._

_You're the emperor. Think of what you could do._

_You could be the champion. No-one will beat you._

"I'm not hearing this…."

_THINK ABOUT IT! Don't kid yourself, listen to yourself!_

_The Pokemon you could create would be unbeatable! Listen to them downstairs._

_You'll have everything you ever wanted._

"No…I don't want…"

_What do you want?_ The voices snapped. _To please daddy? To be the very best? To spend the rest of your life living in obscurity when you could be GOD_?

"Shut up…"

_Turn around. Let Dakos wither and die. Kill Alessa. Become the true king._

_We know what you really want._

"You don't!" Misty and Ash retorted.

_OF COURSE WE DO!_

_We know what you want. You want to be champion. That's the only thing that'll draw Daddy out._

"**I'm not hearing this…"**

_You want to win. You want to see all those rivals and enemies reduced to a greasy stain on the floor after you defeat them._

_Go back to the stadium. Create your own competition. One you can never lose._

_All hail the Emperor! Ash Ketchum of SILENT HILL!_

"SHUT UP!" Ash yelled. Pikachu let loose a thunderbolt that zapped everything in the area except his master and friend. The dolls were reduced to charred, silent toys that fell from the burned-out ropes. They didn't say anything else.

Ash tried to catch his breath. Was he really thinking about all that? Were those things really his thoughts made manifest? Did he really want to rule over this bloody kingdom?

Ash shook his head clear. It didn't matter. He would never become emperor. He didn't want anything to do with this cursed town. He didn't want to become like Alessa. He wasn't going to turn back now, for anything. It was time to end this.

Ash and Misty exited the hallway with the dead dolls. Eventually, they came across another hallway intersection. At the end of the hallway was a door with the words 'Emperor's Throne' splattered in blood over the directions to the emergency exit. The dead body of a scientist strung onto the wall stood guard to Dakos' inner sanctum.

Ash felt a chill go down his spine. He had been cold plenty of times before, but this was a certain kind of cold. Behind this door was the end to this nightmare…or it would just be his death. That knowledge paralyzed him for a second. Here was the conclusion to this story, for good or ill. But it had to end.

Ash managed to get his nerve and step towards the door…

"Ash, wait!"

The boy turned back to look at Misty. The girl seemed both nervous and eager, terrified and brave. Much like he was now. She looked Ash in the eye, then looked away for a second, unsure.

"Misty, what?"

Misty gulped, wanting and needing to say something but not finding the nerve to do so. She stammered for a few seconds. "Ash…I…I…"

"What?" Ash asked.

Misty's eyes darted about as if looking for an escape. "I…" She shivered for a second, but not with cold. "I…uh…"

"Misty, what is it?" Ash demanded, more than a little concerned.

"B-before we go in, I…" Misty tried to force the words out, tried desperately. She knew what she wanted to say, but couldn't.

Ash waited, a little impatiently.

Misty sighed with resignation and said something else. "I have an idea."

* * *

Brock's group was still moving slowly, following the monster without it noticing. The Slowbro creature kept dragging itself forward, the metal apparatus on it's back scraping the floor underneath. It moaned in agony as it pressed onwards, following it's pack.

May was relieved not to see any more corpses. The people who might've still been inside likely hightailed it or had found somewhere safer. The screaming they had initially heard had long since faded into the distance. The building had gone completely quiet…although the screams and roars of the monsters could still be heard.

"You think they got Dakos already?" Max whispered.

"I hope so." May answered bitterly.

Brock, somehow, didn't think so. If Dakos was as powerful as he claimed to be, he'd be able to fight off those hordes easily. If he hadn't simply erected another barrier around his person. From what he'd seen of Dakos, the barrier would be more likely.

The monsters weren't using any of the corridors…the Onix creature had dug through the building's foundation, leaving several holes that the creatures were going through. A shortcut to their target. The Slowbro creature struggled to get itself through a particular hole.

Max's ears perked up. "Hey…do you hear that?"

May and Brock listened. Soon, an unforgettable and distinctive yelping and barking could be heard. Everyone recognized the sound…they could never forget it's origin.

"Pyramid Head's dogs…" Brock breathed. "They're on the hunt."

"And their master can't be far behind…"

* * *

Another figure walked calmly and purposefully through the ravaged halls of Dakos' building. The hellhounds were leading Alessa to her target, but she could probably guess where that worm Dakos was skulking. The place where she had lost her powers to that madman.

Her first escape had been rushed, taking opportunity of Dakos' power-crazed murder of the scientist to run out of the building. Through sheer luck, she was able to escape. She had moved quickly, orchestrating Ash's capture and…endowment of her greatest power. She subconsciously touched the hole where her eye had been.

Dakos' recapture of her was inevitable. That's why she had acted quickly. They were able to capture her again, and brought her back to that damned machine. By then, however, she had nothing for them to take. Dakos saw that the girl had no more of the god's power within her…therefore, he had to have taken it all, because there was no way that Alessa had somehow hid the power from his brilliant plan! Idiot.

A blade hidden in her eye and some smooth talk to her guard facilitated her second escape, and this time Dakos was in no position to look for her. He wouldn't venture outside, knowing these creatures would kill him. He had ranted and raved as he retreated, spitting like a child about how it wasn't fair and how he'd been cheated. Idiot.

Alessa started to wonder if it was a good idea to have sent Ash to stop him. Then again, he had gone up against greater odds…in fact, from what she had seen in his memories, he'd died a few times. And he had that powerful creature beside him.

And since when was anything in this town 'safe'? He had just as much chance as her father and uncle Travis.

Alessa saw a dead security guard nearby, trampled by the monsters in their hurry to murder Dakos. Or did he shoot himself? His gun was in his hand, and his face was too bloody to tell. Alessa simply shrugged and took the gun from his hand. She might need a little insurance if things went awry.

Alessa Gillespie tucked the pistol away and kept walking to Dakos' room.

* * *

Ash stood in front of the door leading to Dakos' 'throne room'. The shiver returned, but he suppressed it. He had to be brave about this. For Misty, for May, for Marcus, for Max, for everyone that had been hurt by this insanity. Dakos started this mess, bringing Alessa to life and trying to steal her powers…not that that absolved Alessa of all blame for this mess. But he had agreed…Ash shook his head clear. He could play the blame game later…when he finished this.

Ash pressed his ear to the door, just to be sure. There was a dead silence on the other side, which struck Ash as troubling. Wouldn't his…the creatures be tearing that lunatic apart by now? Or at least snarling in that room? From the sound of it, there wasn't a living soul in that room.

Ash took a deep breath and, doing his best to stop his hand from shaking, opened the door.

The door opened to a darkened room, lit only by a few windows. He could barely make anything out in the gloom, but the windows displayed several of his creations angry banging the glass in rage and frustration.

Ash blinked. They couldn't get in? This was…odd. Wasn't the barrier down?

Ash cautiously stepped inside and immediately felt a sting in his eye. He covered that eye with his hand as it started to bleed again. Yeah, it was another barrier. Great.

There was something strange about this barrier though. When he was inside the larger barrier, his eye just stung and bled. He barely noticed any pain. Now…now it seemed to buzz with pain, making the darkened room spin as he stumbled forward. He breathed hard as he tried to regain his composure…what was so different about this particular barrier…?

Something pushed him forward, and he landed on a hard, cold floor. The pain in his eye still throbbing, Ash got up to his feet and tried to shake his head clear.

Suddenly the lights came on, nearly blinding Ash's other eye. He covered his vision, and his ears picked out a rather drunken triumphant voice.

"I shoulda known. Shoulda known her brother would've helped. Shoulda taken you in, but lookee here, you came by yourself!"

Dakos laughed aloud, and Ash's vision cleared. He was standing on a large metal plate, with a bizarre symbol scrawled on top. The room looked like a science lab someone tried to decorate for a party. Mismatched banners and pictures of Dakos were strung up all over the machines and mechanisms used to siphon Alessa's power. The dead bodies of Dakos' scientists had all been posed to look like they were enjoying themselves. Dakos hadn't bothered to clean off the bloodstains on the floor.

Electrical barriers had suddenly appeared around him, with hard metal antennae pointing towards him. "Nuts." Ash muttered. He'd walked right into a trap.

"But now you're here and…I can really be king again!"

Ash turned to see Dakos himself. He looked nothing like his campaign posters. The man was still wearing his suit, but it had become tattered and bloodstained. Unkempt hair and unshaved stubble on his face made him look more like a bum than a mayoral candidate. His wide eyes, slurring words and teetering gait made it clear what exactly he had been doing while Kalville had gone to hell. The empty bottles of beer scattered around the room and glass in his hands exemplified that point. Ash nearly laughed at how pathetic this emperor really was.

The laugh died in his throat as the machine surrounding him activated.

"Alesssha tricked me, but now you're here. The power's mine now!" Dakos' drunken laugh sounded more menacing than it had right to be. "Ushed my telekinesis to get you onto there…That's how I got Alesssha's strength. Now, I'm gonna be KING! And noone's gonna stop me again! YAHEHAHEHAHAHAHARayayarhar…"


	38. Chapter 37

Back at the hospital, Lisa was pacing back and forth between wards and basement. Between replacing bandages and rationing what little supplies were left in the hospital, she worried.

Everyone was here, everyone was fixed, everyone was safe and everyone was scared and wanting to leave. But how could they get them out of here? Many of them were too wounded or terrified to walk, and the hospital didn't have enough ambulances to carry them all away. Doing the rescue work in shifts presented it's own problems. The next town was many miles away…they could run out of gas or get derailed somehow, strand several people here. And the thought of being left behind in this place would be too much for some of these poor patients. A lot of them would only feel safe among the crowd.

The best thing to do was get everyone out at once. But they didn't have the vehicles for it. Ambulances couldn't hold that many. Still, with supplies and food running low, they may not have a choice.

Lisa started working out the details of the shifts in her head when she heard a banging on a window. One of the nurses had spotted something coming here. The Head Nurse ran up to the window to look. The faceless nurse ducked out of her way. What Lisa saw made her spirits rise.

Two large Kalville buses, the ones that had been used to ferry trainers to the town, were pulling up to the hospital. Lisa smiled broadly. This was perfect! Those two buses should have room for everyone. The nurse ran down the basement steps to tell everyone the good news.

The two drivers winked at each other. Things were starting to look up.

* * *

Ash felt a stronger twinge of pain in his eye as the machine around him started to whirl. He grimaced as Dakos' device charged up, ready for another extraction.

Dakos laughed maniacally, waiting eagerly for the machine to do it's magic and make him emperor. Oh, he had big plans. The police wouldn't be able to stand up to his mighty army of…of…whatever the hell he'd call them later. He'd have the world in his palm before long. Emperor Dakos! The name had nice ring to it.

"I've been waiting for thish for a long time!" He proclaimed. "Ever since I firsht heard of Silent Hill, I knew that the power here was mine by right. Even if I had to take it! Had to arrange a few things to get it t' work, though."

"Like bringing Alessa back?" Ash asked, trying to keep his attention.

"Oh yeah, and makin' sure that the power here wash something I could control and transfer…even iffit meant giving it all to that girl at first, and makin' shure she couldn't make it go away. I knew I could just take it later, I had it all worked out. But then she tricked me, the little devil!"

Ash sneered. "Wasn't hard to trick a drunk lunatic like you, she told me."

Dakos snarled. "Lesshee how smart your mouth is after I have my things rip it off you! Any second now…"

The machine around Ash began to whir, and a shooting pain went through the boys body…

"PIKACHUUU!"

When a thunderbolt in the right place reduced the imprisoning machine into a power-dead wreck. The pain in Ash's body subsided, although his eye was still bleeding. The electric barriers around him vanished, no longer imprisoning him. Dakos blinked, trying to convince himself this new development was just the booze. Ash looked at Misty and winked, smiling that smile of his.

Dakos had been so fixated on Ash he didn't see Misty and Pikachu come in a few seconds later. If they had come in with him, Dakos would've noticed them and stopped their plan. Now the machine was destroyed and Dakos couldn't steal Alessa's crown jewel from Ash.

Dakos jibbered at the smoldering machine. "Nononononononononononofair…" he stammered, trying to fix the power-transfer machine by banging on it sobbing.

Ash and Misty looked at Dakos increduosly. THIS was the emperor? The one who started this hellish nightmare? The one they had gone through hell itself to defeat? This drunken, sobbing, childish, pathetic, murderous twit who couldn't function without his assistants? Ash almost felt cheated. Alessa's gambit, the dead trainers, the monsters, the flaming cars, Satos…all because of this moron's quest for world domination? He nearly laughed out loud at how ridiculous it was.

Dakos looked up at the two children with blood-red eyes of pure rage. There was no comical drunkenness in his voice as he snarled at the twosome who ruined his plans, spittle dribbling out of his mouth like a rabid animal. "You…you little shits, you've ruined everything!"

Dakos bellowed out a roar of absolute fury and hatred, and all of sudden, the room was on fire. The banners and party tables burst into flames, the drops of spilled alcohol adding fuel to the blaze. Ash and Misty winced as the sudden heat hit them. The room was bathed in crimson, yellow and orange, lighting up the windows where the creatures were banging fruitlessly to get into the room.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Dakos roared, raising himself into the air. The wires and cables inside the machine were ripped out, and the long cables formed a sea-anemone structure around the emperor. Dakos' new 'tentacles' lashed out randomly, ripping off chunks of the flaming wallpaper and floor. A few of them wrapped the flaming debris around their ends, forming blazing bludgeons. Others were still sparking with electricity. Dakos smirked psychotically at the two children, and raised his wire-and-cable tentacles to kill.

In spite of the circumstances, Ash had to smirk. This was a far cry from Alessa's threatening barbed wire.

* * *

The patients at the hospital saw these buses as a godsend. The ones that could still walk eagerly helped those that couldn't onto their escape from this cursed place. The drivers, who were wearing unironed blue uniforms and giant novelty mustaches, were greeted with hugs, kisses, and comparisions to angels. The two drivers and their mustachoid Pokemon simply shrugged it all off and guided the patients into the vehicles.

Several doctors were rearranging the seats for some of the more seriously hurt patients. As the hospital personnel and volunteers moved the bedridden patients around, they all talked about how glad they were to be leaving.

"Never coming back."

"Can't believe Dakos managed to talk me into getting a job here. Should've taken a hint from those crazy dreams."

"Mind his head! I've been on edge ever since I've came here. Gonna head to Undella Town and get some shut-eye for once."

"Careful with him, that spine took a nasty blow."

"Hey, where's the nurse? The pretty one?"

"Lisa? I don't know, I think she might be in the other bus…"

Lisa wasn't on either of the buses. The nurse had finished evacuated the patients from the hospital and was now watching the boarding from a window.

She wasn't sure if she felt relief or sadness. Everyone in her care had survived, and now they were given the one thing she never had…escape. Escape to peace and safety. Escape from this damned place and it's murderous curse. Escape from Silent Hill.

Alessa had brought her back to help these people. And she had done that. Everyone was alright. But now what? What would become of the nurse now? Her purpose had been fulfilled. Now…now maybe she could rest.

A tear appeared in her eye as she watched the buses finish filling up. She hoped they wouldn't come looking for her. She knew, whatever happened, she couldn't leave. She would never be able to leave…

A ringtone from her cell phone broke Lisa out of her troubled thoughts, surprising her for a moment. Only one person had that number. The resurrected nurse picked up the phone. "Alessa?"

_"Come to Dakos' building. Bring some tools and nurses. Hurry."_

"What? What's going on?"

_"That moron gutted his own machine. Things won't be as clean as I hoped they'd be. There's only one way to fix this now. Now get over here. I need you."_

Lisa realized what Alessa was saying. The thought of what the girl was asking her for made her cringe slightly, but she knew it had to be done. One more errand to run. Lisa turned into the hospital to collect some supplies.

The knowledge that this insanity would be finished soon buoyed her spirits.

* * *

Dakos attempt to bathe the room in flames was damped by the sprinkler system. The faucets had activated a few seconds after the fire was created. The blaze was reduced to a few small bursts of fire and a lot of steam. Ash and Misty were drenched, but they were too busy dodging the flailing tentacles to care.

The 'emperor' had lost any pretence of sanity, snarling like an animal as he tried to grapple the children running around the room. The wires and cables he used were long enough for him to reach around the room, and Ash and Misty had to constantly dodge the bludgeons, some of which were still flaming or sparking with electricity.

The steam obscured much of the room, and Ash nearly tripped over the corpse of a murdered scientist. Dakos' tentacles kept lashing out, one of them managed to hit Ash. The thick cable knocked him down, and Dakos raised a blazing wire to finish him.

"Thunderbolt, NOW!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu obliged, sending an electric shock down the length of the cable. Dakos screamed in pain as the shock ran through his body, and Ash was given enough time to get up and out of the bludgeon's way. He couldn't get his breath back however…another cable nearly impaled him, imbedding itself into the wall.

Dakos drove several wires and cables into the wet floor, and started to attack again. The steam was still too thick for him to clearly make out those two infernal children, but he could still slash at the shadows in the mist. He missed a lot – they wouldn't stop moving - but the occasional gasp of surprise told him he was getting closer and closer.

Pikachu tried another Thunderbolt at Dakos, but instead of harming Dakos, the current traveled through the wires and into the floor. The room was filled with water, and the electricity was conducted through the sprinkler's water. So instead of Dakos, Ash and Misty got a nasty shock to their systems, stunning them for a second.

That second was all Dakos needed. A swift sweep of the area with two of his larger cables and he found his targets. Ash and Misty found themselves tied up with thick metal cable, their arms pinned to their sides. "HEY!"

Dakos smiled as he lifted the children off the ground, the cables tightening around them. "Heheheh…"

Pikachu saw the cable around his master, and leapt up with his tail glowing. A powerful Iron Tail was enough to sever the cable, causing Ash to drop to the floor. He was still tightly held, however.

"Stupid rat!" Dakos flung a table at Pikachu, hitting the Pokemon hard. The wooden table splintered into pieces, and Pikachu was knocked out cold. One of the table's legs had been broken off, making a very sharp point at the end. Using his telekinesis, Dakos pointed it at Ash and laughed.

"I don't need your power, I can do this with what I have. I just need to get rid of the creatures outside, and with their master gone…" Ash struggled to free himself from the tight cable, and Misty gasped as she was dangled helplessly a few feet away. The monsters banged on the windows even more fervently. The floating table leg drew back, ready to impale Ash…

KLUNK!

Dakos felt a weight come down hard on his head. It was enough to disorient him and break his concentration. Misty and the table leg fell to the floor, the girl trying hard to get her breath back.

The power-mad emperor whirled around to see May holding a crutch broken in two. Snuck up on again! He would not have it!

May was flung away, the girl hitting a nearby wall hard. "SIS!" Max exclaimed, coming out of the mist. Dakos snatched him up with the wires, several ropes going around his mouth before he could move. The crazed emperor lifted Max up and tried to smash him into the floor, but Dakos was grabbed from behind, breaking his concentration yet again.

Brock had grabbed a broken pipe from the tunnelway the Onix monster had created, and was holding it against Dakos' throat in an attempt to cut off his air and knock him out. He nearly succeeded, but a lucky grab threw him away from the maniac and onto a nearby table.

"Stupid brats…I'll kill all of you!" Dakos screamed, throwing the tied up Max at his sister. Before either of them could react, Brock was thrust beside them and Dakos was ripping a piece of metal from the wall to bind them together. Ash still couldn't get the cable off his body…whatever knot Dakos had used, it was strong enough to keep him tied.

Dakos lifted them all off the ground, laughing maniacally. "It's over. It's allllll over." He mocked, and began to hit them into the walls. The children winced in pain as Dakos telekinetically slammed them against the bloodied walls several times. "And now for the grand finale…" Dakos constricted the metal and cables, threatening to crush them all…

Something fell out of May's backpack, making a dull clattering noise on the floor. Everyone turned to look at it. It was the rusty brown pyramid Alessa had given Ash in the restaurant. The one he threw away at the antique store, and one of his 'children' had returned to May.

The dull glimmer inside it grew brighter.

Dakos' eyes widened with horror. "What…?"

_What is it?_

The glow grew brighter and brighter, and the pyramid began to rise into the air.

"The Flauros…"

_A cage for a demon._

The sections of the pyramid seemed to detach and spin, whirling around the blinding light like something out of this world.

"WHAT IS IT DOING HERE?"

_It might bring you luck._

Suddenly, what could only be described as chains made of fire erupted from the spinning Flauros and impaled Dakos. A loud shrieking noise filled the room, and the light became too bright to look at. The bound children were forced to shut their eyes. The man screamed in agony as the blazing chains dug into his body.

Ash was able to block out the light, but he could still feel…it felt like a fire was blazing very close by. Wind howled and monsters screamed. Ash shut his eyes even tighter, trying to block out whatever was happening in the room.

The noise stopped, and Ash dared to open his eyes…


	39. Chapter 38

The Flauros had reassembled itself and landed on the floor. The glow inside still burned with an unearthly light, although it was no longer blinding to look at. The floor beneath the rusted pyramid was slightly burnt, and Ash could still feel heat emanating from the demon cage. Somehow, Ash knew what had just happened. A small wave of relief came over him.

Dakos was lying face-down a few feet away from the Flauros. The cables and wires had fallen to the floor around him, no telekinesis keeping them suspended. The former emperor's suit was burnt to a crisp, several holes in the fabric revealing his skin had been scorched as well. Ash thought he was dead for a few seconds, but the man's arms suddenly moved, painfully lifting his chest and head up to look forward.

Dakos' face was hideously burnt, although his mad eyes and grimacing mouth could still be made out. The depowered maniac looked at the pyramid casually sitting on the floor, glaring and snarling with rage.

"No…not over…" he managed to gasp out. Dakos used his burnt hands to drag himself towards the Flauros, reaching out to it desperately. "The…power…is…"

BLAM!

Dakos suddenly lost what was left of his hand. The crimson stain barely made a mark on the already reddened floor. Dakos gasped in surprise, staring numbly at the stump where his hand used to be. Everyone turned to see who had fired the shot.

Alessa walked into the room, holding the pistol she had fished off the security guard's corpse. She briefly acknowledged the children, and Max retched on seeing her absent eye. The true Empress of Silent Hill approached Dakos and the Flauros, looking down at the 'emperor' with utter disgust and contempt. Dakos himself could only squeak in fear.

Alessa pointed the gun right at Dakos' head.

"WAIT - !" Ash cried.

**BLAM**

Dakos' chest slumped over to the side before his body flopped onto the floor with the sound of a wet meatsack. The blood pouring from his head wound merged with the red stains of the slaughtered scientists. There was a dead silence as the magnitude of what had happened sunk in…even the monsters outside had become strangely silent. The constrained children couldn't tear their eyes away from the morbid sight.

Dakos was dead. The maniac who started this mess was dead. Dead and gone.

Alessa turned towards Ash, and the children saw her missing eye and the bloodstain on her dress. "Wait for what?" She asked dryly.

Ash didn't have an answer.

He wasn't sure how to feel about this. None of them were. On the one had, a man had been killed without being brought to proper justice, and they had just witnessed a cold-blooded murder. On the other…did Dakos deserve any more than that? He had done the same to Markus, brought Alessa back to life to take her power, slaughtered as he pleased, and ultimately helped create this place. But was what Alessa did…right? Just? What needed to be done? All these questions and more buzzed through the children's heads.

One of the doors swung open, and a small group of the knife-wielding skull children walked in. They glanced at Dakos' burnt corpse, and sighed with audible disappointment.

Ash gulped. Was he just wanted to kill the man himself, with his creatures? Was he really just upset he didn't get to…Ash shook his head clear, thoroughly disgusted with that thought. He was not a killer. He was not Alessa. Ash almost felt relieved that Alessa had done the job for him. He wasn't like her. He never wanted to be. He never would be.

The skull children grabbed the man's dead body and started to drag it out of the throne room. Misty could see the other monsters waiting outside, drooling and hissing with anticipation. Eventually, the small creatures were able to move the corpse out of the room, and they carefully closed the door behind them. Misty didn't want to think about what the creatures were doing to Dakos now.

Alessa had picked up the Flauros, not bothered at all by the heat it was emanating. After looking at it for a moment, she rotated several sections of the pyramid. There was a brief flash and a wave of heat, but it quickly subsided. The Flauros' light dimmed and Alessa appeared to have been refreshed, taking a deep, satisfied breath. The rusty pyramid floated a few feet above her hand, and she allowed herself to smile.

"Good. I feel more like myself again." She remarked, before looking back at Ash. "Only one more thing left to do."

"Great." Ash groaned. The boy knew what Alessa meant, and he wasn't exactly relishing the process. He began to push his way out of the cable coils Dakos had tied around him. Misty and the others worked to free themselves as well, although very warily keeping an eye on the repowered Alessa Gillespie.

Ash was eventually able to get out of the restraints, and he fought with his hands to stop them from going around Alessa's throat. His determination to not become her won out, and his hands went to his sides. Alessa saw this and smiled slightly.

"Be patient. You'll get your chance."

Ash winced at the remark, and everyone turned to him questioningly. Misty knew this had something to do with that 'condition' he made to go after Dakos. After a moment's consideration, everyone decided not to ask right now.

Another door opened at the back of the room, and Alessa turned to see one of the nurses come in. The nurse had several assistants carrying boxes and cases filled with tools. Much to Ash's surprise, the head nurse had a face.

"_Lisa_?" Ash and Misty gasped.

"We'll explain later." May, Max and Brock all said at once. They quickly turned to the red nurse. "What about the people at the hospital?"

"They're being taken out. Someone found rides for everyone."

"Thank goodness." The children breathed a sigh of small relief.

Ash was about to demand an answer NOW when he suddenly felt himself picked up and held against the wall, unable to move his arms and legs. He nearly struggled, but then figured out was Alessa was doing. Lisa sighed and started putting on gloves.

"Right. Let's get this over with." Alessa tossed the gun she was holding aside.

One of the faceless nurses thrust a small needle into Ash's face. The boy felt a prick before feeling his face go numb. He couldn't suppress a shiver, even though he kept telling himself this last thing would end this nightmare for good.

May and the others were nearly free of the wire and metal cage. "Wh – what is she doing?" Max asked.

"Taking her power back." Misty answered.

Alessa put on some gloves of her own and opened another of the medical cases. This one was refrigerated, or maybe it was just another chill of nervousness going down Ash's spine. This was going to be anything but pleasant.

What Alessa took out of the case established the unpleasantness of what was going to happen next. It was a medical jar, misty with cold but still transparent. Inside was a small white orb with a string attached. At least, that's what it looked like from a certain side. From another side, the light brown iris of Ash Ketchum's left eye.

It all became clear.

"Are you ready?" Alessa inquired.

"Much as I'll ever be, just do it." Ash groaned.

Alessa smiled wanly before nodding to Lisa. The red nurse took up a scalpel in her hand and took a deep breath. Then, the blade began to go towards his face.

May fainted, and everyone else clamped their eyes shut. Ash didn't have that luxury. He managed to get his right eye closed, but Alessa's telekinesis kept his…_her_ eye open for the surgery. Ash watched as the sharp blade closed in. The boy bit his lip to keep himself from screaming or trying to stop this operation. _It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon_.

Although he couldn't feel anything, he could tell Lisa was cutting open along his scar. Every time he saw the sharp blade near his eye, he winced.

"I really do apologize." Alessa spoke. "Dakos' follower's spell tied the powers to my body, so it had to be a part of me. And…well, it had to be something you wouldn't have the nerve to exorcise if you found out." She shrugged.

Ash bit further into his lip as the removal continued. He wouldn't open his mouth to criticize Alessa because he feared it would come out as a scream. The scar was open now, and Lisa was able to use another tool to reach behind the eye. Of course, Ash could only watch as more sharp things moved around his eye and he couldn't move. _It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon._

Alessa was very impressed. She honestly would've expected Ash to scream right now. He certainly had reason to. Helplessness during a medical procedure like this – especially when you had to watch – was not an enjoyable experience. She knew. It was terrifying.

"Aaaaaand…" Lisa seemed especially cautious now, focusing on something right behind Ash/Alessa's eyeball. Another cold metal implement was felt against the eyeball, causing Ash to wince and make his lip bleed…

_snip_ "There!"

When everything abruptly became dark, causing Ash to inhale sharply as his entire vision fell into darkness. Out of the corner of his hearing, he heard the creature's death rattles outside. The boy forced his right eye open, and was relieved to find he could still see…only to shut it again on seeing the eye, with the optic cord behind it, being extracted from his skull.

Shutting himself in darkness and forcing himself not to shriek, all Ash could do was listen. _Over soon. Over soon._

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Lisa. Now, let's finish this. Here."

And then Ash felt the cavity left by his absent eye being…manipulated, for lack of a better word. He couldn't describe what he felt in there, but he eventually felt a mass being pushed into their. His own eye.

This was almost worse than the nightmare he had the first time Alessa had done this. He wondered if Alessa had somehow used that nightmare to hide this operation from him, thinking it would be easier for the boy. He decided not to dwell on it. A few more seconds, and this lunacy would be done. Over. He'd go back to his normal life, he'd be a Pokemon trainer, and he'd never have to think about Silent Hill ever again…

His own eye settled into it's proper place, and Ash felt cloth and bandage being wrapped around his head. The boy allowed himself to breath again. _Almost over. Almost over. Over._

"You can open your eye now, Ash. We're done." Lisa's reassuring voice told him as he felt himself regain control of his body. Ash landed on his feet, and gradually allowed his right eye to open and his breath to come back. His lip still bled, and his hand gently touched the bandages covering his replaced eye. Everyone else got their eyes open as well.

Alessa had her back turned to them all, but after a moment she turned around with two eyes in her head and a satisfied smile on her face. "Ahhh, there we are." She chuckled, wiping off the blood under her eye onto her sleeve.

She noticed the looks Ash and the others were giving her. She shook her head and calmly spoke one more time.

"No need for the scowling. I know. But look on the bright side. This nightmare's over. And while I doubt this will be the last time, there's no harm in taking a few precautions…" The girl in blue snapped her fingers…

And the group was suddenly at the lakeside. The gravel under them and the wrecked red truck told them this was the same place where they had been forced to return to Kalville. Ash took a moment to register his surroundings and make sure his friends were all there. They were. Everyone breathed a sigh of pure relief. They were finally out of the town, and they never had to return again.

The fog had finally lifted, although the view of the town was hardly improved. The once lively town had been reduced to a black and grey shadow of it's former self. Even without the draining effect of the fog, the city still looked hideous and torn. There was a feeling of emptiness and death that emanated from the abandoned town. Maybe it was appropriate for Silent Hill.

The group was staring at the twice-killed town when a flash of color in the centre caught their eye.

And then Kalville burst into flame. With a **_WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH_** that was audible for miles, the entire town was swallowed in colossal flames. Every building, every kiosk, every tourist stand, every banner, every mascot costume, every corpse. Everything was suddenly ablaze in cleansing flames. The entire town of Kalville was lit up like a huge bonfire.

If Ash squinted, he could make out a small figure in the midst of the flame. He had no doubt this was the Empress, Alessa Gillespie. She had her power back at last. Ash pictured her, arms spread, smiling as the cursed town was destroyed around her. Ash caught himself smiling as well. It was finally over…for now.

The children couldn't tear their eyes away from the morbidly beautiful sight. Eventually Ash glanced down and noticed something. "Hey…the water."

Everyone looked down at the lake. Alessa was right about when there was a fire. The flames of the town dyed the water a deep red, making the children think of all the blood that had been shed in this nightmare. And yet…it was strangely beautiful. The children stared at this morbid sight for a long time.

The sound of bus wheels far behind them and a man crashing through the trees snapped them out of their trance. They all turned around to see a bus driver with long red hair, a ridiculous moustache and thick sunglasses.

"There you are! Thank good – oh my god, what happened to your eye?"

"Don't ask." Ash sighed.

The driver shook her head and turned to the others. "Well…there's a bus waiting. Let's get the hell outta here."

Everyone nodded. One by one, the children turned their back on the blazing Kalville, Ash and Misty being the last to leave. Eventually, they walked away from Silent Hill and all that had happened, never looking back.


	40. Epilogue

_Kalville, a once-promising boomtown, was abandoned and destroyed earlier this week. The entire town was evacuated and then set ablaze, the flames visible for miles around._

_Although authorities have been unable to identify the cause of the blaze, they have commented that the fire was most likely started to coincide with the mass evacuation of the remaining citizens and visitors. Although most of the remaining residents were successfully evacuated and are now undergoing treatment, several individuals have not been accounted for and are more then likely dead. Most prominent of these is financier and mayoral candidate Dakos, as well as most of his assistants and staff._

_Although police have been unable to determine the number of the people killed in the town when the fire started, they estimate total casualties to be ranging in number from a few dozen to several hundred._

_Survivors report a series of strange occurrences happening in the days before the fire, including the vandalism of founder Kal Mayhew's statue, several accounts of disappeared individuals, and an unusually thick fog descending over the town. Witnesses report that strange, violent creatures appeared from the fog and attacked the town, killing several residents and their Pokemon. Although some authorities have theorized that these 'monsters' were simply rogue Pokemon, almost all of the survivors of the Kalville incident have insisted they were something else entirely._

_Although the investigation is still ongoing, it has been petitioned that the place where Kalville once stood be sealed off from the public. Investigators are still interviewing the victims of this mysterious turn of events, and will provide details as they arrive._

The newspaper was promptly thrown into the garbage. The woman who had been reading it muttered to herself, pacing the floor of her home.

"Dakos, you foolish heretic. You abandoned the faith and perverted our rituals for the sake of your petty power play. By doing so, you have endangered us all! We must lay low now…but this is NOT the end of it. God iwill/i be reborn, and paradise will be ushered in. Our Order will not rest until it is so…"

The hospital where the Kalville survivors had been dropped off was very crowded, so the place had to prioritize. The most seriously injured individuals were given the most attention, while the less wounded people were moved away as soon as their cuts and bruises had been treated. After the doctors had a look at the children's cuts and bruises, they were told they could leave as soon as they sufficiently recovered enough to walk. The only wound the doctors noted was Ash's eye, so he was looked at for a bit longer.

Misty, May, Brock and Max were sitting on a bench just outside the hospital, waiting for Ash to walk out. On another bench across the street, a couple and their Meowth read a large newspaper right in front of their faces. All were more worried then they wanted to show.

Eventually the hospital doors opened, and Ash Ketchum walked out with Pikachu on his shoulder.

The boy had his bandages removed and his torn clothes replaced. From the look of it, his eye was working fine again. The scar on his face was still there, as well as the somber look on his face.

The group got up to greet him, asking about his eye and bandages and how he was feeling. Are you okay? Are you going to start training again? How's Pikachu? He barely listened.

He looked up at the sun. The sky was cloudless and the sun was shining brightly. How long had it been since he saw the sun? It felt like an eternity. A long, painful, terrifying and bloody eternity. But now, as he felt the sun of his face, his friends around him, the sounds of bird Pokemon and cheerfull chatter in the air, a smile returned to his face as a good realization sunk in.

"It's over. It's finally over."

Everyone blinked, not sure what to make of this statement but knowing it was gloriously true. Eventually Ash lowered his gaze. For a brief second, nothing happened.

Then he embraced his friends, one and all, with a smile that had taken too long to come back. Everyone returned the hug.

"Thanks guys. For everything." He chuckled. "You're the best."

The group smiled, knowing that the Ash they knew and loved was coming back. The couple across the road hid a smile themselves as they walked away.

It was over. Silent Hill was gone, and they would never go back or think about it again. Dakos was gone. The monsters were gone. Alessa…they didn't need to think about her again. Now, they could go back to their lives. It would be refreshing beyond belief to go back to their old routines. Leave Kalville where it was buried. The fog had lifted, and the sun had returned.

The nightmare was over.

At least, it was 'over' enough.

It was very late at night, and the group was staying overnight in the local hotel. Misty was getting a drink of water from a nearby water fountain when she noticed the lights were still on in Ash's room. Cautious but curious, she tapped lightly on the door. "Ash? Are you okay?"

There was a shuffling, and the door eventually opened. Ash was still in his street clothes and the hat he bought from another shop. He looked like someone who was very tired but for some reason couldn't fall asleep. He smiled wanly. "Hey Misty. What are you doing up?"

Misty whispered quietly. "Getting some water. Have you gotten any sleep?"

"Not really…"

"Max is having some bad dreams too. I guess we'll be having them for a while. It's gonna be okay…"

"It's not just that…" Ash looked to the side, unsure if he should tell her something. He knew Misty had to leave in the morning…her sisters had been calling her constantly since the fire hit the news. But should he tell her this now?

Misty saw the concern in Ash's eyes. "What is it? Is this about…?" Misty motioned to the scar that was still over Ash's eye.

The boy shook his head. "No, I…I'm gonna see someone about it. Get it…I dunno, removed or whatever it is they do with scars. I don't want mom to see this. She'll freak. But…it's not that."

"Then what…"

Ash made up his mind. "Come in."

Misty blinked, but eventually came in.

Ash sat down on the bed, and Misty set herself down right beside him. After a moment of silence, Ash picked up a piece of slightly burnt paper and looked at it for the hundredth time tonight.

"This was delivered to me after supper." He handed the item to Misty, who had to blink to make sure she wasn't just seeing something in her sleepy state.

It was a postcard for Kalville. The edges were very burnt, but the picture on the one side was still clear. It was a photo of Ash and his friends chatting to one another while walking through the street. Ash and Pikachu in the centre, May, Brock, Misty and Max behind and around them.

And somewhat to the side, separated slightly from the group, was 'Alyx'.

"I don't know how it could possibly…" Ash stammered as soon as he figured what Misty saw.

"Well…publicity photos. Kalville probably had photographers going around taking pictures of trainers and tourist for postcards and brochures. I guess we just missed the photographer." Misty rubbed the burnt section of the postcard. "Must've been produced just before the fog hit. Wonder how it survived the fire…"

"Flip it around." Ash remarked.

Misty did so. On the back of the postcard was the usual 'Please visit' and 'RSVP' notes, but two other things stood out. A picture of a circle within a circle – an eye – was beside the words 'Never Forget'.

There was a moment of silence as the message sunk in. Ash and Misty stared at the postcard, singed by the fire but somehow still intact. The postcard Alessa had sent him just as they were trying to forget this lunacy.

Eventually, Ash spoke. "Should I forget?"

Misty gulped, trying to find a good answer for that question, one that would work for her as well as Ash. She was stuck for a few minutes, staring into space in thought of all that had happened. Alessa, Pyramid Head, Satos, Dakos, Kalville, Silent Hill.

"I…I don't know. I don't think we can…but…we can still move one. Go on with our lives. That's…probably the best thing we can do."

Ash took a moment, mulling over it in the head. Eventually, he nodded. "Yeah…" he said, a little unsure. "That's probably the best thing we can do."

"Yeah."

The two friends sat in the room for a few more silent minutes. Eventually, Misty yawned and got up. "We should get some sleep."

"Good idea. Goodnight, Misty. Sweet dreams." Ash smiled that smile of his, and settled down into his bed, putting the postcard aside and turning off his lamp. Misty turned around and walked out to door, returning to her own room.

Lying in the darkness with the light out and the door locked, Ash couldn't suppress a shiver. The memory of what happened in Silent Hill still lingered in his mind. He had been able to shut his eyes, and was very nearly asleep when the bad dream started to creep in.

Of course he'd move on. Of course he'd go back to his old life, training to become a master. Training Pokemon, sending Team Rocket blasting off, meeting new friends, challenging the gyms, trying to win the tournament. A few days or weeks outside on his journey, and Kalville would be the farthest thing from his mind.

But now, as the shadows looked like syringe-wielding nurses, children with skull heads whispered under his bed, monstrous hounds barked outside his window, and Alessa's icy voice emanated from the postcard, a very chilling fact hit him. A realization he couldn't bury or ignore. Something that would stay with him no matter how hard he'd try to forget. Something that dampened his relief at escaping the nightmare of the last few days.

_This nightmare's over_

_THIS nightmare._

This wasn't the last he'd see of Silent Hill.


	41. Part 2

Part two of Pokemon; Dark Mirror is up!

Dark Mirror; Bloody History.

Check it out and review!


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